IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


1.0 


LI 


1.25 


M 
1.8 


U    III  1.6 


Photographic 

Sciences 
Corporation 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  NY.  14580 

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>.'g'^K-a^<<tM'ji^!^^a'-yigg*'w»^4'°"^^.-gB^^.  «i^»»»«swnsa-?T-^'-^-^Wi^.^^y-jsggJS-' 


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ZP. 


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Q- 


CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHM/ICMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microreproductions  /  Institut  Canadian  de  microreproductions  historipues 


! 


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»»i,j,iijiH)„.lJ>illiJ'l.'LiH;i!'lMM.'. 


-'.rwaiHgu.-i  r  'ij  ■l-Jj.U'J?'"-'^^-Vi"'  • 


v'i'jM.u-v;. 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes/Notes  techniques  et  bibliographiques 


The  Institute  has  attempted  to  obtain  the  best 
original  copy  available  for  filming.  Features  of  this 
copy  which  may  be  bibllographically  unique, 
which  may  alter  any  of  the  images  In  the 
reproduction,  or  which  may  significantly  change 
the  usual  method  of  filming,  are  checked  below. 


n 


Coloured  covers/ 
Couverture  de  couleur 


□    Covers  damaged/ 
Couverture  endommagde 


D 
D 
D 
D 
D 
D 
D 


D 


D 


Covers  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Couverture  restaurde  et/ou  pelllcul6e 

Cover  title  missing/ 

Le  titre  de  couverture  manque 

Coloured  maps/ 

Cartes  g6ographiques  en  couleur 

Coloured  Ink  (I.e.  other  than  blue  or  black)/ 
Encre  de  couleur  (i.e.  autre  que  bleue  ou  noire) 

Coloured  plates  and/or  illustrations/ 
Planches  et/ou  illustrations  en  couleur 

Bound  with  other  material/ 
Rell6  avec  d'autres  documents 

Tight  binding  mny  cause  shadows  or  distortion 
along  Interior  margin/ 

La  reliure  serr6e  peut  causer  de  I'ombre  ou  de  la 
distortion  le  long  de  la  marge  int6rleure 

Blank  leaves  added  during  restoration  may 
appear  within  the  text.  Whenever  possible,  these 
have  been  omitted  from  filming/ 
II  se  peut  que  certaines  pages  blanches  ajout^es 
lors  dune  restauration  apparaissent  dans  le  texte, 
mais,  lorsque  cela  6tait  possible,  ces  pages  n'ont 
pas  4t6  film^es. 

Additional  comments:/ 
Commentaires  suppldmentaires; 


L'Institut  a  microfilm^  le  meilleur  exemplaire 
qu'il  lui  a  6t6  possible  de  se  procurer.  Les  details 
de  cet  exemplaire  qui  sorit  peut-dtre  uniques  du 
point  de  vue  bibliographique,  qui  peuvent  modifier 
une  image  reproduite,  ou  qui  peuvent  exiger  une 
modification  dans  la  mdthode  normale  de  filmage 
sont  indlqu6s  ci-dessous. 


I — I    Coloured  pages/ 


D 
D 
D 

n 


Pages  de  couleur 

Pages  damaged/ 
Pages  endommag6es 

Pages  restored  and/o 

Pages  restau^des  et/ou  pelliculdes 

Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxet 
Pages  d6color6es,  tachet6es  ou  piqu6es 


I — I    Pages  damaged/ 

I — I    Pages  restored  and/or  laminated/ 

I — I    Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed/ 


□    Pages  detached/ 
Pages  d^tachdes 

□    Showthrough/ 
Tr«jn! 


isparence 


Quality  of  print  varies/ 
Qualitd  in^gale  de  I'impression 

Includes  supplementary  material/ 
Comprend  du  materiel  suppldmentaire 

Only  edition  available/ 
Seule  Edition  disponible 

Page^:  wholly  or  partially  obscured  by  errata 
slips,  tissues,  etc.,  have  been  refilmed  to 
ensure  the  best  possible  image/ 
Les  pages  totalement  ou  partiellement 
obscurcies  par  un  feuillet  d'errata,  une  pelure, 
etc.,  ont  6t6  film^es  d  nouveuu  de  faqon  d 
obtenir  la  mdilleure  image  possible. 


This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 

Ce  document  est  film6  au  taux  do  reduction  indiqu6  ci-dessous. 

10X  14X  18X  22X 


12X 


16X 


20X 


26X 


30X 


w 


24X 


28X 


32X 


The  copy  filmed  here  has  been  reproduced  thanks 
to  the  generosity  of: 

Library  of  Congress 
Photoduplication  Service 


L'exemplaire  i\\m6  fut  reproduit  grdce  d  la 
g6n6ro8it6  de: 

Library  of  Congress 
Photoduplication  Service 


The  images  appearing  here  are  the  best  quality 
possible  considering  the  condition  and  legibility 
of  the  original  copy  and  in  keeping  with  the 
filming  contract  specifications. 


Les  images  suivantes  ont  6t6  reproduites  avec  le 
nius  grand  soin,  compte  tenu  de  'a  condition  et 
de  la  nettet6  de  l'exemplaire  film6,  et  en 
conformity  avec  les  conditions  du  contrat  de 
filmage. 


Original  copies  in  printed  papor  covers  tire  filmed 
beginning  with  the  front  covar  and  ending  on 
the  last  pegs  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, or  the  back  cover  when  appropriate.  All 
other  original  copies  are  filmed  beginning  on  the 
first  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, and  ending  on  the  last  page  with  a  printed 
or  illustrated  impression. 


Les  exemplaires  originaux  dont  la  couverture  en 
papier  ast  imprim6e  sont  filmds  en  commenqant 
par  le  premier  plat  et  en  terminant  soit  par  la 
dernldre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'Impression  ou  d'illustration,  soit  par  le  second 
plat,  selon  le  cas.  Tou''>  las  autres  exemplaires 
originaux  sont  film6s  en  commenpant  par  la 
premidre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impresslon  ou  d'illustration  et  en  terminant  par 
la  dernldre  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 


The  last  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shall  contain  the  symbol  -^(meaning  "CON- 
TINUED "),  or  the  symbol  V  (meaning  "END"), 
whichever  applies. 


Un  das  symboles  suivonts  apparaitra  sur  la 
dernldre  image  de  chaque  microfiche,  selon  le 
cas:  le  symbole  ^♦^  signifie  "A  SUIVRE",  le 
symbole  V  signifie  "FIN". 


Maps,  plates,  charts,  etc.,  may  be  filmed  at 
different  reduction  ratios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  m&ny  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  dtre 
film6s  d  des  Mux  de  reduction  diff^rents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  dtre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  clichd,  il  est  U\m6  d  partir 
de  Tangle  supirieur  gauche,  de  gauche  d  droite, 
et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'Images  ndcessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrent  la  mdthode. 


1 

2 

3 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

V_- 


T"  ii  'innnwiit-' 


TWO  MISSIONARY   PRIESTS 
AT  MACKINAC. 

A  LECTURE  DELIVEREO  AT  THE  VILUCE  OF  MACKINAC  FOR  THE  BENEFIT  OF  ST   ANNE  S  MISSION, 

IN  AUGUST.  1886 


The  Parish  Register  of  the  Mission  of 

MlCHILliWACKINAC, 

A  PAPER  READ  BEFORE  THE  CHICAGO  UTERARV  ClUB  IN  MARCH,  1889 


EDWARD  OSGOOD   BROWN. 


SPriB  1889, 


CHICAGO 

llAKNAKI)    *    l.lNTHORr    PldVTF.HS. 

188<l. 


V«\v^ 


('.ipyriu'lil  IHW'. 
Hy  KnwAiiii  ()siio(il>  Huows. 


\\ 


TWO  MISSIONARY  IM^IESTS  AT  MACKINAC. 


MOST  of  us.  I  sujijiosr,  who  loiiu'  to  Markiii;u'  ■aw  in- 
(Imc'd  to  do  so  iliii'llx .  and  iH'iiiajis  altoni'thrr.  liy  its 
natural  iliara(.-lt.'ri>tiis.  Tlu'  in\ii;'oratiu^  air,  llir  (.'Mi'iidi'd  and 
lu-autiful  laud  and  watiT  vii-w.  tlu'  iron  in  thrsc  nortluTii  rills, 
the  lu'allh  that  is  bonif  ujion  thi'  brrr/.i.',  tin-  pinrs,  those 
•'trees  of  iiealini;-,""  these  afe  the  thin:.js  that  ch-aw  us  from  the 
crowded  market  i-)laei>  or  forum,  from  the  eitii's'  tlusl  aiid  cin- 
ders, and  keep  us  linj^erinff  here  deli<;hled,  until  duty  releiit- 
lesslv  calls  us  home  ajfain. 

I?ut  for  all  that,  I  \  enture  to  think  that  there  is  hardly  one 
of  us  who  does  not  consciously  or  unconsciously  feel  the  power 
of  that  human  sympathy  which-  as  Ruskin  has  in  one  of  his 
papers  beautifully  set  fortii — glorities  the  Alps  and  the  R.'iine 
and  makes  them  to  the  traveler  f;ir  surpassini;-  in  intt  rest 
and  attraction  the  Sierras  and  the  Amazon.  Ami  here  in 
Mackinac,  to  those  who  know  and  arc  touched  by  the  interest 
of  its  history,  we  may  and  must  feel  keenly  tb.is  sympathy.  As 
I  walk  on  the  bluffs  ami  look  out  on  tlu-  beautiful  panorama 
spread  out  before  me,  this  fairy  isle  itself,  and  the  whole  fair 
country  around  aliout.  once  known  as  Michilimackinac,  the 
winding  shores  and  the  heavy  woods  of  the  Nortliern  and 
Southern   Peninsulas,  the  silver  straits  between,  and  the  low- 


lyiiiK    islands   near,    n.y    tlmu-lUs   lly    Ixuk    from  tlu'    natural 
luautii's  aroiinil  nir  to  tlu'  ilistaiU  pa^t.  and 

..  Vi>in„s  nl  i\H-  .lavs  .l..,.utid.  >h,ulnwv  1  .luuif -Mis  fill   mv  Lriun. 
■lluN  ul.n  lisr  in  hiamv  ..nly.  >rrui  tuualk  the  cMilli  ;i,u;un. 

l',.!-  Mit-hilituaiki.KK-  was  l\\(.  Imndivd  years  anc  tlu-  iviilri- 
of  luiinan  Hfofl,  as  ^naiul.  as  tioblr.  and  to  my  mind  as  int^'ivsl- 
inn-  and  romantic,  t..o,  as  c'vrr  can  be  assouatfd  uill>  Swiss 
mountain  or  (nMinan  rivi'r. 

Ii  is  .,oi  mv  purpose  in  tl.is  paprr  to   nitrr   into   any  -rnrral 
description    or     panr-yric   of     the  Jesuit   missions    in     North 
America.    1  onlv  want  to  remind  you  llial  even  before  the  May- 
tlouer  e.Uered  Massachusetts  liay.  the    Priests  of   the  Society 
liad  carried,  not  vvitli  a  blare  of  tru.npels  but  with   the  solemn 
times  of  the  (Jre^rorian  chant,  the  cross  and  liie./Av//-  </r  lis  to- 
^u.iher  int..  the  wilderness  of   Maine   and  Canada.      In   all   this 
great  North  Western  country  never  a  river  nor  an  inland   .sea 
was  explored,  never  a  cape  nor  a   headla.ul  turned  or  doubled 
but  it   was  a   hlack-ow.ied  Jesuit    father,   in    his  birch    canoe 
armed  with  his  crucilix  and  bis  breviary,  who  led  the  way.      in 
these  later  da v,s.  repairinjr  the  nc-lecl   of  two  hundred   years, 
historia.is  like"  Dr.  Shea  and  Mr.  1 'ark man  have  told  this  story 
so  often  and  so  well,  that  these  men   have   received  the  honor 
so  justly   their  due,  and  have  obtained  perchance  what  ihev 
never  sought,  an  earthly  immortality. 

For  although  these  priests  were  explorers,  adventurers  and 
discoverer.s.  heroes  in  many  a  phy.sical  danger  and  many  a  hair- 
breadth escape,  it  was  no  earthly  glory  they  coveted.  They 
came,  devoted,  eager,  intense,  with  but  one  great  object  be- 
fore their  hearts  and  eves,  to  snatch  from  everlasting  misery, 
the  poor  and  ignorant  and  wicked;  to   set  before  those  who 


'*4; 


naUiriii 


lltlTl'Sl- 

1   Swiss 

"•I'tu'ial 
Noi-ili 
ir  May- 
Soiii'ly 
•  soU'inn 
'(•  lis  to- 
all   this 
laiul   s(.'a 
(loubli'd 
li    catiof 
vay.      In 
tl   years, 
ills  story 
u-   honor 
hat  ihcv 


were  in  darktU'SS   i  jffi'at  li^llt■.  to  break  to  those  who  were  in 
the  shadow  of  death  the  li|-eail  ol    lite  .'I-Tiial. 

'IMie\  reii'i\'(l.  so  far  as  this  world  wciil.  the  ri'\\ai"d  oi 
their  \irtual  niarlvnloin  in  lite,  thi'ii'  aeliial  inarlyi-doiu  olti'iu 
ill  iheir  deaths.  Iw  seeiiii;  the  hmiidations  laid,  as  they  believed, 
of  a  Christian  Miiiiiire  of  the  I  luron  ainl  Al^diujiiin  peoples;  b\ 
hearing  Inniiis  to  the  \'irL;in  simi;'  in  tongues  unknown  to  eiv- 
ili/.alioii:  In  bi'StowiiiL:  upon  the  humblest  saxaiji'  neophyte  in 
the  saereil  wafer,  all  that  tlu'  (.'hureh  eould  \i,\w  to  the  mi;^ht- 
iest  kin^s  of  ICurope. 

Was  not  this  bloiulK'ss  erusade  worthy  all  the  adornnuMits  of 
historie  art  in  literatuiH'  or  paintiiiL;.' 

liut  it  is  not  aloiu'  with  the  Jesuit  Missions  that  the  roinanee 
in  tlu'  histor\   of  Miehilimaekinae  is  eonneiied. 

A  lii'K'  later  it  was  from  the  iieii^hborhood  of  this  renion 
heri'.  as  tlu'  eeniri'  in  tlu-  north,  as  from  Kaskaskia  and  oKI 
Fort  C'hartres.  en  the  Mis<issi]ipi.  in  the  south,  that  tlu'dominion 
of  Fraiue  in  the  New  World  radiated.  It  was  from  here  that 
the  yreat  kinn-  was.  In  his  \iei'ro\s  and  commanders,  to  sit  in 
powi-r  and  do  justice  and  equity  lhrouL;hont  this  lair  iiortluMii 
lake  country. 

Thert-  canu'  a  tiim-  when  '•  bitfots  and  lacki-ys  and  jian- 
dcrs.  the  fortuiu-s  of  I*'rance  hail  undone,"  when  this  power,  in 
the  begiiuiin^  so  yreat.  promisiiiif  so  much  lor  the  ^^dory  of 
France,  nav,  for  civilization  and  hmnanity,  was  met,  opposed 
and  in  the  providence  of  (lod,  oxerconu-.  by  tlu-  less  pn  nii-.iM<.,f, 
the  mori'  maierial.  the  harder  and  less  altracti\e  ICn^lish  >  iv- 
ilizatio'i.  from  tlu'  eastern  coast. 

We  most  of  us  at  least  rejoice  in  the  .esult.  but  wecan  none  of 
us  I  think  forbear -vmpathy  with  or  withhold  our  interest  from 


till'  \aiuiuislu-tK  nor  iim  wr  fail  K.  ii'i  <.-iii/f  lliat  iH.l.ltT  mimls 
iiiul  aims  sin^imd  Ui  luli'  tliosr  wlio  (Kh  land  in  the  naini'  of 
J.oui.s  \l\'.  lliai  '•  His  majesty  ioiiUl  aniu'X  lui  idiiiilrv  to  Ins 
crown,  witiumt  makino  ji  hj.s  chii-f  caic  to  I'slahlislillu'  C'liristian 
n'li<,non  tluTi'inf  than  lliost-  who  lonUl  with  cold  cakulation, 
liki-  somi-  ol  llu'(iovcTnors  of  Massai  husi'tts  liay  and  \'ir^Mnia, 
(U'llarc  llit-'insilve'S  opposed  to  l\v  livili/ation  and  i(UKation 
of  llu-  Indians  on  tlu'  -loiind  thai  it  mi<;iil  injnii'  llii'tradi'  and 
mati'iial  intni'sts  of  the  lolonii's. 

(Jn  Juno  14,  1O71.  al  llu'  Sault  Saint  Mario,  from  lu-iv  not 
liftv  mill's  to  tlu'  norti\  as  llu'  crow  llii-s,  wliilo  ri'pri'sontaiivi'S 
of  fcmrtfcn  irilu's  of  Indians  looki'd  on  in  woiuK'r,  and  four 
Jesuit  FatluM-s  k'd  tiic  French  nu-n-al-arms  in  tin-  sinniii<r  of 
tlie  Vc'xilla  Kc^\s,  llu-  Su'ur  dc  Saint  Lusson,  (.onnnaniHnn-  in 
this  re-ion  for  tlu-  kin^s  set  up  side  by  side  a  ^reat  wooden 
cross,  and  a  pillar  to  which  were  attached  the  royal  arms  of 
France.    Then  draw  inj;  his  sword  and  raisin^-  ii  towards  1  leaven, 

lie  exclaimed: 

"In  the  name  of  the  Mostlli.uh,  Mi<,dity  and  Redoubted 
Monarch,  Louis,  Fourteenth  of  that  name,  most  Christian 
King  of  France  and  of  Navarre,  I  take  possession  of  this  place 
Sainte  Marie  du  Sault,  as  also  of  lakes  Huron  and  Superior, 
the  island  of  Manitoulin,  and  all  the  countries,  rivers,  lakes  and 
streams  contiguous  and  adjacent  thereunto,  both  those  which 
have  been  discovered,  and  those  which  may  be  disc()\ered 
hereafter,  in  all  their  length  and  breadth,  bounded  on  the  one 
side  by  the  seas  of  the  north  and  west  and  on  the  others  by  the 
south  sea,  declaring  to  the  natives  thereof  that  from  this  time 
forth  they  are  the  vassals  of  his  Majesty,  bound  to  obey  his  laws 
and  follow  his  customs,  promising  them  on  his  part  all  succor 


*4it 


5 


ami  proti'i'tioii  aj4'iiinst  the  iiiiriisidii'^  and  iin  ,i,si>iiis  ot  lluir 
iMiiiiiii'S.  (Ic'i'laiin;;-  to  all  oilur  |>(.tiiilaU><,  piiiurs.  siiv  iTt'ii;iis, 
stales  and  rr|nililiis,  to  llu'in  and  lli.ir  siilijeils.  lliat  llic\  ran- 
not  and  air  not  to  si'i/i'  or  si'tUr  upon  an\  [lai's  dt  llir  aloii'- 
sald  loimtrirs  sa\r  onU  undrr  the  ;;ood  plrasuii'  oi  Ills  Most 
C'l\risliaii  Maji'sl\  and  of  liini  who  will  ,i;o\  rrn  in  his  behalf, 
and  this  on  pam  u'  im  ariiiiL;  the  ii'smlnienl  and  the  ellorts  of 
his  .uMns.      LonL;  li\i'the  Kin^;'  '■" 

Tlusi'  well'  hinh-soundin;;  words  indeid.  but  when  spoken, 
llu'V  wiTi'  no  i(lK'  ones.  Not  only  the  power  ol  the  i^reati-st 
kiii'fdoni  on  I'arth  was  pUil^ed  to  make  them  eth'etist'.  Init  the 
lloi,'  C'hiuih  heisilf.  the  Mother  of  Kiii^s,  seemed  to  stand 
behind  tluni  in  blessing  and  ennlii mation. 

We  know-  what  riMuaiiis  of  it  all.  IWit  it  ad  Is  to  the  eharm 
of  life  at  Maekiiiai-  to  im-,  th.il  iiuwitably  my  thoiinhts  are  ear- 
ried  baek  to  that  June  day  and  its  pageant,  two  hundri'fl  yi'ars 
a<'().  when  1  lu'ar  upon  the  lips  of  some  wanderin";-  halt-breed, 
still  linjferin<.f  the  accents  of  France:  and  when  at  the  Mission 
of  St.  Anne  the  ;^ospt'l  is  read  in  I'rench  as  w  ell  as  in  ICn^lish, 
ami!  am  reminded  that  Holy  Church  has  not  fori;otli'ii  luT 
part  of  the  duty  then  assunu'd.  altluai^h  performed  now  ior 
so  few   of  her  lowliest  children. 

And  e\en  here  does  not  end  the  charm  of  the  historical  as- 
sociation which  hovi'rs  about  Mackinac. 

A  half  centur\-  and  more  after  the  tlominion  of  I'rance  in 
this  new  woild  had  w.med.  Dickered  ami  ;L;one  out,  these 
Straits  of  Michilimackinac  were  still  the  scene  of  romantic  and 
absorbiuif  adventure.  Hither  thron^fed  still  the  Indi.in  tiibes 
of  the  West,  no  loiij^er  untouched  by  the  forced  for  ^ain  or  the 
vices  of  civilization,  but  from  far   and    near,  seeking-  at  Michili- 


m 


ickiiKU-  t(i  prolitably  c-\cliaiiL;v  llu-  iM-odiuts  of  thr  rliasc 
for  Ihi-  tilings  that  hud  bi'i-onu'  iiulispcnsalik'  to  tlu'ir  litr.  and 
hilluT  caiiH'  to  nuTt  tlu-in  and  barter  uitli  tlu'm.  tin-  fearless 
spirits  of  tile  frontier,  skilled  alike  in  wooileraft  and  in  trade, 
but  hardlv  less  wild  and  hardy  than  their  sava<;e  eustomers. 

The  plaee  was   busy,  full  of  a   restless  activity  and  ener-^y, 
which  made  it  important  and   interestin^i^  when  the  site  of  the 
^■reat  metropolitan   city  which  lies  now  350  miles  to   the  south 
was   but  the  Chicairo   portage,  an  outiiost  of   Michilimackinac. 
1  have  latelv   examined   with  j^n-eat  interest   the  parish   re,t(- 
isters  of  the  mission  here     the  Mission   of  St.  Anne  de  Mich- 
ilimackinac,   and    as    I    read    with      outward    eye    the     mere 
record   of  baptisms  and   UMrria^es  ami   burials  from  1695   to 
the  present  day,  between  the  lines  I  seemed  to  see  with   men- 
tal  vision,  the  whole  stranjj^e  story  of  the  place,  with  its  record 
of  hi.-h    aims  and   noble    purposes,   st'emin^;ly    thwarted   and 
failinl,^  only  to   result    in    the    end    in   success  far  beyond   the 
earlv  dreams  of  priest  or  solilier. 

My  mind  was  full  of  this,  when  my  friend,  the  parish 
]-,riest.  appealed  to  me  to  prepare  a  papi  r  for  an  entertainment 
to  be  uiven  for  the  benelit  of  the  mission,  a  request  I  was 
glad  to  accede  to. 

I  determineil  for  this  pajn-r  then  to  attempt  a  brief  sketch 
of  two  figures  in  the  history  of  this  mission,  equally,  it  seems 
to  me.  worthy  our  regard  and  admiration:  both,  although  more 
than  a  century  apart— servants  at  the  altar  here;  both  French- 
men of  illustrious  descent,  and  of  the  older  and  nobler  school 
of  thought  and  manners  -one.  the  very  founder  of  the  mission 
here  the  prototype  in  a  hue  of  earnest  and  devoted  men  of 
the  earlier   time,  who   carried  on   the   work  he  gloriously  be- 


i;',ni:  llu'  otluT  at  oik'c  tlu'  tlosiiii;-  lii;uri.'  of  tha'  lint',  and  llu- 
liLMaKl  anil  pion^-rr  in  a  nru  /'.;'■////■  and  a  new  (irdri\  a  eon- 
nL'Clini;-  link  in  iiiIut  words,  binding-  tin.'  i-|iui\'h  in  llu'  ursl. 
whii'h  was  ihr  (.Dinpaiiion  ami  adjunct  ol  I'lTiuli  ii\  ili/.alion 
anil  dominion,  with  tlu'  C'atholii-  Churrli  in  Anirriia  as  it 
stands  lo-daw  rliirtlv  ICnuHsh  sprakin^-  and  lCni;lisli  tliinkiiii;-. 
its  altars  siT\i'd  with  lo\  al  and  patriotii'  lo\  its  of  Anirriian 
idras    and    Anu-riiaii  institutions,  a  Iri-f  ihuri'h  in  a  iirr  statr. 

TIk'  tirst  of  thrsi-  nu'n  whom  1  lia\r  di'Sirihi'il.  you.  of 
courst',  I'oulil  namr.  it  loulil  be  no  olliiT  than  llu-  Ji-suil, 
lacquis  MarqUL'tlc.  to  whom  belongs  the  hi<,di  honor  of  beini^ 
the  lirsl  exjilorer  and  discoverer  (after  De  Sotoi  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi river  and  vallev.  and  of  uhose  eharaeter  and  lite,  his 
zeal,  his  abilitv  and  his  devotion  there  has  been  mueb  written 
and  said  sinee  the  discoverv  and  iiublieation  of  his  manuscript 
journals  bv  llial  prince  amonj^f  American  scholars.  Dr.  John 
Ciilmarv  Shea. 

'I'he  second  one  of  whom  I  would  speak  is  jierhaps  less 
known  to  most  of  vou,  but  to  my  mind,  as  I  have  said,  he  is 
1,'ijuallv  an  intereslmt^  and  admirable  liL,nu"e  in  the  history  of 
the  .\merican  Church.  It  is  the  Sulpician  priest,  (iabriel 
Richard. 

The  life  and  labors  of  these  two  men  then.  [  shall  attemjit 
brieflv  to  sketch  for  vou  t()-nit>hl. 


Jacques  Marquette  was  born  in  16,^7,  in  the  city  of  Laon,  a 
fortilied  citv  of  France,  on  the  mountain  side  near  the  ri\  er 
Oise. 

His  familv  was  distinguished  and  .aicient.  entitled   to   armo- 


ri:il  brariiiiis.  aiul  furnishiii<f  most  of  llu'  local  onicL'.s  of  the 
crown  in  the  citv  and  tlic  clcpartnii'iit  around.  A  more  inlcr- 
L'stinif  fact  to  us  is  that  three  of  this  same  family  from  the  same 
re,<,non  of  country  served  and  died  in  the  French  -irmy  in 
America,  during  the  Revolutionary  war. 

We  are  told  that  his  m(>ther  was  Rose  de  la  Salle,  and  re- 
lated to  Jean  Haptiste  de  la  Salle,  the  founder  of  the  Ikothers 
of  The  Christian  Schools,  for  centuries  as  it  is  to-day  the 
greatest  anil  most  etlicieiit  institute  in  tlu"  world  for  the  <,n-a- 
tuitous  instruction  of  the  youn^-.  I  do  not  know  that  any  in- 
vestigation has  e\er  been  made  to  determine  whether  or  not 
he  was  in  the  sann-  line  related  to  that  paladin  of  adventurou.s 
discoverv.  who  with  dauntless  couratje  and  miraculous  endu- 
rance, pursued  to  the  end  the  explorations  which  Marquette 
began,  that  '■  heart  of  oak  and  frame  of  iron,""  Robert  Cavalier 
de  la  Salle,  a  native  of  the  same  part  of  France.  It  would  be 
interesting  to  know. 

Ai  the  age  of  seventeen  Jacques  Marquette  entered  the  So- 
ciety of  Je.sus.  Filled  with  the  most  inten.se  devotion  to  the 
Blessed  \'irgin,  with  his  piety  shaped  in  the  ecstatic  school  of 
Loyola  and  his  mind  inflamed  with  the  reports  which  the 
fathers  on  the  various  missions  were  sending  to  their  superiors 
in  France,  his  whole  soul  was  bent  even  during  his  long  no- 
vitiate ujion  some  foreign  mission,  and  in  1666,  he  eagerly 
sought  and  received  the  orders  which  sent  him  across  an 
almost  unKn.>wn  ocean  to  labor  among  the  Indians  of  North 
America. 

Arriving  in  September  of  that  year  at  Quebec,  he  applied 
himself  immediately  to  the  study  of  tlie  Indian  languages  in 
u.se  among  the  tribes  under  the  especial  care  of  the  already 


I 


: 


I 


t'stablishc'd  missions.  IIo  sccins  to  h;i\o  had  woiuhTful  liii- 
jruistic  ability,  anil  must  also  have  had  woiuk-rful  applica- 
tion, for  of  tliL'SL'  most  ditlicull  savaiff  dialects  he  hail  masliTi'd 
six,  so  as  to  spoak  them  with  consitlerahle  llueiuv,  when,  in 
April,  1668,  Father  Dablon,  the  superior  of  the  missions, 
ordered  him  to  'die  Ottawa  mission,  established  at  theSault  Sle. 
Marie.  After  a  vova<;-e  of  ^real  diilieulty  and  hardshiji  he 
arrived  at  this  place,  and  there,  afterward  joined  b\  Dablon 
himself,  Marquette  labored  among  the  l\\(;  thousand  hidians  of 
various  tribes  who,  attracted  by  the  excellent  fishing,  there 
frequently  assend)led,  to  separate  from  time  to  time  for  their 
periodical  hunting  parties  through  the  wiid<M-ness.  He  found 
them  docile  and  easily  induced  to  accept  Ids  guidance.  Hut 
his  zeal  and  enerav  and  his  unusual  linguistic  abilit\-,  so  neces- 
sarv  for  a  successful  missionary,  marked  him  out  for  a  more 
dillicult  undertaking  still,  and  from  the  Sault  he  was  sent  in 
August,  1669,  to  the  mission  of  the  Saint  ICsprit,  at  Lapointe, 
near  the  western  end  of  Lake  Superior.  Here  his  task  was 
more  discouraging  at  Hrst,  for  his  knowledge  of  the  dialect 
there  most  used  was  not  so  perfect,  but  he  soon  had  acqmred 
ove-  his  ll(K.<,  composed  partly  of  Ottawas  and  partly  t)f 
Ilurons,  a  great  and  growing  intkience. 

And  now  through  parties  of  Illinois  I'lid  Sioux,  who  came 
from  far  to  the  westward,  beyond  the  Mississippi  river,  Mar- 
quette began  to  hear  of  the  Great  River,  broad,  deep,  beautiful, 
compared  by  these  men  who  knew  them  both,  to  the  St.  Law- 
rence. They  told  him,  also,  of  the  many  tribes  which  dwelt 
along  its  banks,  and  his  mind  was  tilled  with  a  burning  desire 
to  preach  to  them  the  gOvspel  they  had  ne\er  heard. 

Always  prudent,  however,  in  his  intrepidity,  anxious,  as  he 


J 


'vni/i 


10 

himself  says,  ihat  if  his  (.■\iu'(hti()ii  ah-i'ady  planned  must  he 
dano-erons  it  should  not  he  fonliiard\.  from  this  time  on.  Md- 
quelle,  from  every  Indian  who  spoke  to  liim  of  the  Mississippi, 
he«-<>-ed  all  ihe  information  he  could  uet.  and  from  many  took 
rude  sketches  of  the  river  and  its  principal  trihutaries,  so  far  as 
Ihev  were  know  n  to  his  informant. 

Aheadv  the  wav  of  reachinj^Mhis  :;reat  river  in  the  stream 
now  called  the  Wisconsin  was  known  to  the  Ji'suil  h'atliers. 
From  the  Vn\  ri\i'r  runninn;  into  (ireen  liay.  to  the  headwat- 
ers of  tlie  Wisconsin  runniiii;-  into  tin-  M'ssissippi.  then'  is  a 
comparativelv  easy  porla<,fe  near  the  place  where  now  in  W  is- 
consin  stands  the  town  of  that  name.  Over  this  porta<,re, 
Allouez,  one  of  Marquette's  fellow  missionaries,  in  one  of  his 
tours  had  latelv  ^n)ne,  lindinif  in  the  Wisconsin  a  heautiful 
river,  he  says  in  his  report,  runnini;-  soulh-w  est,  and  in  the  space 
of  a  six  days'  journey,  as  he  was  told,  joinin^r  the  threat  river 
of  which  lu  had  heard  so  much 

Hut   Marquette  did   not  at   lirst  expect  to  take  this  route. 
His  Illinois  mission  and  the   exploration   of  the   Mississippi   he 
intended  to  make  hv  joinin,tf  in  the  autumn  a  hand  of  the  Illinois, 
who  from  the  west  came  each  year  hy  land  to  Lapointe,  crossing 
the  Mississippi  in  their  journey.      Hut  these  expectations  were 
doomed    to    disappointment,    for    aroused    lo- resentment    hy 
allefjed  injuries  inlhcted  on  them  hy  the  Ottawas  and  Ilurons, 
the  Sioux,  always  fierce  and  revengeful,  hroke  into  open  war 
with  the  trihes  who  formed  Father  Martjuette's   flock  at   La- 
pointe.    The  Ottawas  and  Ilurons  were  no  more  ahle  to  with- 
stand the  Sioux  from  the  west,  than  they  had  heen  a  quarter, 
of  a  centurv  hefore  the  Iroquois  from  the  east,  and  they  Hed 
in    di.smay    from    Lapointe,    separating    as   they    went.      The 
Ottawas  took  refuge  in  the  Island  of  Manitoulin— the  Ilurons, 


«-,  „*mrfi:=sB^Br*«rK*yr 


■n^iiiw.^ij.'  "g"*  i.*Mi  wknf  ■  L'w 


r-jcTV-M 


I  I 


n.'mfiiilH'iiii_i;-  thai  \  I'ars  iH'fori-  they  had  foiiiul  li'inporarv 
respili  I'roin  Iroquois  prosi-fulioii.  ami  an  ahuiulaiKi'  of  i;aiiir 
ami  tisii.  at  ami  lu-ar  tin-  Islaml  of  Miihilimafkiiiai.-,  taiiu'  lu'ii- 
for  tlu' sccoiul  tiinu  to  liml  rffu^it:  ami  Iumv  in  1671  (.ainr  with 
tlu-ni  tlioir  ik-votud  prii-st  and  ti-ailu'r,  jacqiU's  Marqiu'lti'. 

It  is  impossihlf  to  trll  with  absolute  (.'iM-tainty  fvi-n  on  tin.- 
clost-vU  invi'stiyatioiK  wiu'thi-r  it  was  on  llu-  Island  ol  Mac'kinai-, 
or  on  tliL'  mainland  known  now  as  Toiiu  St.  ii^nacr,  that  l^athrr 
iMarqufttt'  .uul  his  Imliaii  llot.k  tirsl  established  tliL-nisclves. 

I  am  incliiu'd  to  think  that  it  was  on  the  island  that  tin-  tirst 
remle/.vous  was  made,  but  that  very  shortly  after,  it  was 
thought  best  to  make  the  permanent  settlement  upon  l!ie 
n)ainland,  and  that  there,  in  167  J.  a  ehapel  had  been  built  sur- 
rounded bv  the  cabins  of  the  Indians,  the  whole  villa,:;e  beiiij^^ 
enclosed  within  a  stockade,  for  belter  protection  against 
enemies. 

Father  Charlevoix,  and  followin<r  him  evidently,  later  w  riters 
have  expressed  surjirise  at  Father  Marquette's  selectin:,^  w  hat 
thev  term  so  undesirable  a  place  for  his  mission  and  the  settle- 
ment of  the.IIurons.  To  justify  their  surprise  they  speak  of 
the  intense  cold  and  the  sterility  of  the  soil. 

Charlevoix  savs  thai  Father  Manuiette  determined  the  choice 
of  the  spot,  but  Father  Marquette  himself  says  that  the  In- 
dians had  previously  signilied  their  desii,ni  to  settle  here,  led 
by  the  abundance  of  ^'ame,  the  -rreat  quantity  of  tish  and  the 
adaptability  of  the  soil  for  mai/e,  the  Indian's  chief  ajrricull- 
ural  product. 

But  apart  from  tlu'  question  whether  Father  Marquette 
located  the  Indians  ratlier  than  the  Indians  Father  Marquette, 
Charlevoix  seems  to  me  to  speak  with  less  sai^acily  than  is 
usual  in    a  Jesuit  priest,  in   so  expressin^f  himself.      If  Father 


Bit 


12 

MarqiU'lU'  did  actcTiniiu'  the   place  of   selllenK-iit,  il   seems  to 
ine  easv  to  understand. 

These  missionaries  were  men  of  cultivation Jearnin;,^  and  re- 
liiuMuent.      Their  sense  of  the  beautiful  and  their  love  for  it,  we 
mav  be  sure  were  stron-".      For  the  sake  of  their  holy  reli^non, 
and  in  their  burning  zeal,  they  had  voluntarily  exiled  themselves 
from  the  world  of  art  and  artistic  beauty.     The  rainbow  lif^ht 
that    falls    throuuh    cathedral    windows,   the     almost   celestial 
music  that  iiembles   throu-(h  the  aisles,   the  paintin.^r  and   the 
architecture  that  aid   to  rais     the   em-apt  soul    from  earth    to 
liea\en,  they  had    left   behind    in    luu-ope  forever.      They  had 
doomed  themselves  to  much  that   was  hateful   and    lisgusting, 
to  sodden   forests  and  smoky  wigw^uns,  to  filthy  food  and  un- 
clean companions,  but  they  preserved,  as  all  their  relations  and 
all  their  history  shows,  their  love  iif  beauty:  nature  to   them 
must  take  the  place  of  art.     Would  it  have  been  stranoe  that 
Father  Marquette  .should  have  been  -lad  to  settle  where  alter- 
nated the  jrlories  of  a  wonderfully  beautiful  winter  landscape, 
with  those  no    less    grand  of    these     shining    summer  seas? 
On   the   contrary,   we   may  well  imagine    him.    when   lirst  he 
gazed  from  the  bluff s  upon  this  country  called  Michilimackinac, 
exclaiming,  as  Scott  makes  King  James,  of  Loch  Katrina: 

"  .And  what  a  scene  were  bcMC,     *  ^  * 
For  i)rincely  pomp  or  churchman's  pride  1 
On  tills  hold  brow  a  lordly  tower, 
In  that  soft  vale  a  lady's  bower! 
On  vonder  me.ulow  tar  away. 
The  turrets  of  a  cloistLM- gray! 
How  bl.thelv  might  the  bugle  horn 
CMiide  on  this  Lake  the  lingering  morn  I 
And  when  the  midnight  moon  should  lave 
Hlv  forehead  in  the  silver  wave. 
How  solemn  on  the  ear  would  (ome 
The  holy  matin's  distant  hum'." 


P^jjwwl')-.*  II.!!'  -  '  I'l-'"'  '-1--" '  l.luuj.t.'M.'-r^' 


13 


Until  the  17th  of  iMay,  1673,  Marnuottc-  lahorc-d  at  tliis  mis- 
sion witli  abundant  and  t'iK-oura<,nn<i  nsults,  to  judj^a-  from  lus 
It'ttcr  to  liis  supfiior  in  167.'.  Ho  says  that  he  had  ahnost 
live  hundred  hidians  about  him,  wiio  wished  to  be  Christians, 
who  listened  with  eaj^a-rness  to  his  teaehinj^s  who  brou-^ht  their 
children  to  the  chapel  to  be  baptized,  and  came  re^nilarly  to 
prayers.  Be  the  wind  or  cold  what  it  mi^ht,  many  Indians 
came  twice  a  day  to  the  chapel.  Whei'  he  was  obli^a-d  to  f^o 
to  the  Sauk  for  a  fortnij^ht,  they  counted  the  da^s  of  his  ab- 
sence, repaired  to  the  chapel  for  prayers  as  thougii  he  were 
present  and  welcomed  him  back  with  joy. 

"  The  minds,"'  he  writes,  "  (  f  the  Indians  here  are  now 
more  mild,  tractable  and  better  disposed  to  receive  instruction 
than  in  any  other  part." 

But  the  Illinois  mission  that  he  had  planned,  and  the  Great 
River  that  he  w  ished  to  explore  and  dedicate  to  Mar\ ,  w  ere  al- 
ways in  his  thoujjfhts,  and  it  was  with  great  joy  that  in  the 
spring  cf  1673,  he  heard  that  he  had  been  ordered  b\-  his  su- 
perior to  turn  over  the  mission  at  Michilimackinac  to  a  suc- 
cessor and  himself  accompany  Louis  Joliet,  designated  by  the 
governor  of  Canada,  in  the  exploration  of  the  Mississippi. 

On  the  17th  of  May,  1673,  he  embarked  from  Michilimacki- 
nac  with  JoHet  and  five  men,  in  tw  o  birch  canoes,  on  his  famous 
voyage.  Its  chief  purpose  was  to  learn  of  the  tribes  who 
dwelt  along  the  banks  of  the  great  river,  to  map  it,  with  its 
principal  tributaries,  to  determine  its  general  direction  and  to 
ascert-ain  where  it  emptied,  whether  as  some  thought  into  the 
Atlantic  Ocean  or  as  more  supposed  into  the  Gulf  of  Cali- 
fornia. That  it  ran  through  1,500  miles  of  country  to  empty 
itself  into  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  no  one,  it  would  seem,  suiipected. 


I  liiivi'  not  liinv  as  I  would  liki'  to  di-tail  tliis  tirst  voyajrt- 
(lown  llic  Mississippi,  but  to  all  of  \'ou,  if  vou  have  not  rt-ad  it. 
1  (.■ommend  tin-  story  of  tlu'  voyajijc'  as  \()u  will  iiiid  it  in 
I'arknian's  Disiovi'iv  of  the  (.iriat  W'l'st,  or  bcttiT  still  in  tlu' 
litiTal  translation  of  Marqiu'ltc's  own  report  to  he  i'  and  in 
Sheas  Discovery  and  Exploration  o{  the  Mississippi. 

'I'here  you  will  read  with  pleasure,  I  know,  how  following 
the  north  shore  of  Lake  Miehitjan  where  the  wilderness  in 
places  is  as  wild  now  as  then,  thev  ascended  Fox  river  from 
Green  Jiay,  and  made  the  portaj^e  to  the  headwaters  of  the 
Wisconsin,  how  there  they  bade  adit'u  with  brave  hearts  to  the 
waters  that  connected  them  with  Quebec  and  Europe,  and 
kneeling  to  offer  in  a  new  devotion  their  lives  and  their  laViors, 
their  discoveries  and  all  tlieir  undertakinifs  to  the  Blessed  Vir- 
j^in.  launched  themselves  upon  the  stream  that  ran  to  the 
Mississippi  atu.  then  they  knew  not  where,  to  countries  un- 
known and  unnamed. 

\'()U  will  see  how  carefully  ihey  noted  the  physical  cliar- 
acteristics  of  the  river  and  the  country  and  the  social  customs  of 
the  tribes  they  found,  how  intrepidly  they  met  hostile  savaj^es 
and  hideous  wild  beasts,  how  zealously  they  preached  Christ 
and  his  Church  to  those  who  would  hear,  how  they  wondered 
at  the  pictured  monsters  on  the  cliffs  near  the  mouth  of  the 
Missouri,  (which  the  late  Judge  lireese  of  Illinois,  in  1842, 
said  were  still  the  wonder  of  travelers,  and  which  seem  in 
1850  to  have  been  in  some  parts  visible,  but  which  Parkman 
declares  in  his  time  had  given  place  to  a  mammoth  advertise- 
ment of  Plantation  Bitters,)  how'  then  the  Missouri  with  its 
turbid  floods  came  near  to  swamping  their  frail  boats,  how 
tinally  they  reached  the  mouth   of  the  stream   now  called  the 


^J!;i_»jjw   wtj^-i'^^jj';*.^  ^-^.A  -fT'!?v^'ir^.^^:3i*t,!aW&*2*3w^" 


^.ILut.*!.'..--.-  ..w^v,  JJ4,iJ 


»5 

ArkansMS.  ami  havintf  acconipli.slu'd  tlu'obji-it  of  tlu'ir  missidii, 
ami  made  siiri'  of   tlu'   furtluT  i-oursi- of   tiu-  risiT,  ami  llial  its 
mouth  was  at    tlif    (iiilf  of   Mexico,  wIumh'.  as   tlu-y  kiirw.  the 
Spaniard    had  fortiliiations   and    sellK'nu-nts.  lurncd   l^uk   and 
paddk'd  th     wfa.y  Irn>,fth  of  tin-  Mississippi   anain.  to  its  jiuu- 
tion  with  tin-    lliincis.      Tlu'  ji  iniu'V  too  \ip   the    Illinois    rivt-r, 
which  the  hulians  told  llu'iii  was  a    m^arcr    and  easier  routt'  to 
Lake    Miehi^fan    than   the    Wisconsin,  and  the  villayi's   of   tlu' 
Illinois    which    thev    found   and    preached    to,   and    to    which 
Maripielle   jiromisi-d  to    return    the    follow  in^f   year,  art.'    most 
graphically  described;  described  like   the   rest  of  the  journey, 
tersely,  simply  and  unprelendini^dy  as  by  a  scholar  and  a   man 
of  careful  obseryation  and  practical  sense.      So.  too.  is  told  the 
portage  throu<;h   Mud  Lake,  from  the   Desplaiiies  to  the   C'hi- 
ca^fo.  from  which,  perhaps,  the  lirst  white  men  who   were  ever 
on  the  site  of  Chicaj^ro,  Marquette  and  his  compani-ns  emerged 
on    Lake   Michigan   and  rowed   alon^f   its  western   shore   until 
they    reached    (ireen    Jiay   and    the    mission    of    St.    Francis 
Xayier. 

'I-his  yoyajLje  was  just  four  montlis  lon;^',  and  in  it  the 
trayelers  had  paddled  their  frail  barks  oyer  2.700  miles. 

One  detail  only  of  this  yoyaj^e  I  would  quote  from  Father 
Marquette's  own  account  that  I  may  call  attention  to  how 
beautifully  it  has  since  been  useil  in  American  literature. 

On  the  arrival  at  the  th'st  yilla^fe  of  Illinois,  which  they 
visited  on  their  journey,  Marquette  had  declared  to  them  with 
the  customary  presents  and  symbolic  lan<fua<fe.  that  he  came 
in  ]-)eace,  that  he  came  to  declare  to  tiiem  the  j^n-ealness  and 
goodness  of  the  true  (iod,  and  that  the  <,n-eat  chief  of  the 
French  had  subdued  the  Iroquois  and  spread  peace  every- 
where. 


J 


I6 


11      . 


li 


I 


"  Wlu-n  I  liiul  liiiislu'd  my  ^piu'ib.,"  mi,  s  FatluT  M;iri|m'lti', 
"  llu-  sail.i'in  arosi-  and  layinj,'  his  hand  on  'hr  head  of  a  Utile 
sla\i'  whom  hi'  was  alioiU   to    <,n\i'  us,    spoko   tlms:     I    thank 
thti-.  Black  (iown,  and  thi-i-,  Frenchmen,  lor  takin^^   so  much 
pains  to  comi-  and  visit  us:  never  lias  the  earth  het'ii  so  heau- 
tiful  nor  the  sun  so  lirij^dit  as  to-day,  never  has  our  river  heeii 
so  calm  nor  so  free  from  rocks,   which   your   canoes   have  re- 
moved as  they  passed;  never  has  our   toliacco    had   so   tine  a 
llavor  nor  our  corn  appeared  so  heautiful  as   we   behold  it  to- 
day.     Here  is  my  son,  that  I  ^'ive  thee,  that  thou  niayst  know 
my  heart  I  I  pray  thee  to  take  pity  on  me  and   all   my   nation. 
Thow  knowL'st  the  Great  Spirit  who  has   made   us    all;    thou 
speakest  to  him  and  hearest  his  word;  ask  him  to  j,Mve  me  life 
and  health,  and  come  aiul  dwell  with  us  that  we  may  know  him." 
Lonjffellow,  reco^nizinjf  the  beauty  of  this  historical  ispeech, 
has  paraphrased  it,  or  indeed  almost  literally  transcribed  it,  in 
Hiawatha.     Vou  will  remember  the  visit  of  the    lilack   Robe 
to  Hiawatha  and  his  people: 

'•O'er  the  water,  lloating,  tiying, 

Something  in  the  hazy  distance, 

Sometliiiig  in  the  mists  of  morning. 

Loomed  and  lifted  from  the  water. 

Now  seemed  tloating,  now  seemed  tKing,  . 

Coming  nearer,  nearer,  nearer. 

Was  it  Shingebis,  the  diver, 

Or  the  pelican,  the  Sliada, 

( )r  the  heron,  the  Sliiilisiinii-gah, 

( )r  tin-  white  go  )se,  Wati-he-wawa, 

With  the  water   iripijiiig,  flashing. 

I'rom  its  glossy  neck  and  feathers? 

It  was  neither  goose  nor  diver, 

Neither  pelican  nor  heron. 

O'er  the  water  tloating.  Hying, 

'I'hroiiL'h  tlie  shining  inisl  of  morning. 

Hut  a  bin.  h  canoe  with  paddles, 


l<>fc.i|IUBllMH'll)Wil|rn 


■.■-iJj*AI*«lB«iiW»UiWWWJ' 


«7 


KiMllJi.    s 


Hi 
A 


nki 
ll 


iiu  oil  the  Willi. 


lipliin^i.  tl;i-.iiinf;  in  tlu'  siinsliiiii.' 
ml  within  it  <  .iiiii'  ;i  iiici|ili' 


From  till'  (ii^i.iiit  1,111(1  ut'  \\  .iliiiii. 
Imiiiu  tin-  t'artliol  iimIiii^  ot'  mniiiinj,'. 
Came  tiu'  l!la(  k   RciIr-  (hid',  tht'  l'r()|ilu't. 
Hi.-,  the  I'rii^t  of  I'raycr.  tlu'  l'aU>  I  a<  r, 
\\ith  his  giiiiirs  and  hi-  i  oinpai 
And  the  noiili'  I  liawatha, 


lions. 


With 


hai 


id>  aloti  cMcndcd 


II 


c'lil  aloft  ill  si^n  of  wclioinc 


Waited,  lull  of  exultation 

Till  the  liin  h  canoe  with  |)a(ldles 


(irati'd  on  llu'  >h 


'K  1' 


■hi) 


Stian<le<l  mi  the  >andv  inar.nin. 

Till  the  i'.huk  Robe  e'hief.  the  i'ale  J-'arc, 

With  the  cross  upon  his  bosom, 

Landed  on  the  sandy  niai>;in. 

Then  tiie  joyiuis  Hiawatha 


Cii 
I!e: 


ed  aloud  and  sp 


akc 


tin 


s  wise 


itifnl  is  the  siin.  O  stian};ers. 
When  yon  come  so  fir  to  see  iis; 
All  our  town  in  peace  awaits  you, 
All  our  dooiN  stand  open  for  you; 
^'oii  shall  enter  all  our  wigwams. 
I'or  the  he.irt">  riglu  hand  we  give  you. 
i\e\cr  bloomed  the  I'artli  so 


:ayly, 


Never  shone  tl.'    .Min  so  briglitly. 
As  to-day  they  shine  and  blossom 
'When  von  come  so  far  to  see  usl 
Never  was  our  lake  so  traiii|uil. 
Nor  so  free  from  rocks  and  sand  bars 


I'- 


or. your  birch  ca'ioe  in  passiiij. 


Has  removed  both  roi  k  and 


db 


i\e\  er  before  had 


lobac 


.Sui  h  a  sweet  and  |>leasant  thuor; 

Never  tlu'  broad  leaves  of  our  corn  fields 

Were  so  beautil'ul  to  look  on 

.\s  they  seem  to  ns  thi>  miMiiing 

^\'hen  von  come  so  tar  to  si'ensl 

.And  the  lilack  Kobe  Chief  made  answer, 

Stammered  in  his  spee<  h  a 


,S 


lieat 


lilt 


word^ 


yel  11 


littk 
familiar: 


i8 


|',M(  r  lie  with  \i>u    llij\\,illi;i. 
I'.M.  (■  \n-  Willi  Mill  and  >.mii   |if<ii>li'; 
\\\,  (■  i>\  in.iyiT  and  piMt  c  ot  paidnu, 
|'>  a(  I'  orcliri-l  and  i«>\  nl'  Mai  y!" 

M;iri|m'Uc\v;is  aU.iiki^l  In  ilvsrnliT.v  .mi  his  linr.u'uaul  v..\- 
a^v.  an.l    ilav  aitiT  (lav  lay  .-Nhaustr.!  in  his  CAun,-,  cn-a-v.!  in 
pravrr  and  hnlv  nu'dilali.m.      S..  .•Nhausud  a.ul  urakriird  u  as 
)„.  In   his  mil  and  his  .lisrasr.  nhich  l.-r  a  yrar  did  ...'t  snisibly 
.,,,.„;..    ,1,;,,    ,hirin-   tlu'    autumn    and    uinirr  nf    K'-J,^  and  llu- 
sprin-  and  suuu.ut  lullnn  in-,  h.-  was  nhli-ol  t..  .(Mnain  al  tlu^ 
niissiun  nt  Si.  Knuuis  XavicT  ..n  ( Jivrn  liay  nuikin- n<.  aUrinpt 
U,    ivluin    I..   Mid.iliiuaiUinac,  uhul.    lu'  d.-ubtU'ss  di'siivd   lo 
visit.      It  nas  xvhiK-  he-  was   hfiv  ihal  he  nn.tr  lo  his  supcri-M" 
liis  avv.mnl  nl  llu-  v.nauv.     This  Inranu-  of  -tval  iinpurtatuv 
ulun.  as   it    unhHlunalrly  happrnrd.  J.-li^-s  ..(Ikial  .iT-t  ■""! 
map  N.iiv  l.-st  In   tiu'    ..viTlufniti';  ol  his  (an..r  in  llu-  Lachinr 
Kap.ds  just  as  hi'  was  appn.achin-  .MniUival  al  llu-  nid  ..l'   his 

loll}.';  joiinu'v. 

This  i-rlalicn  of   -Marqui'ltc.  toovthrr  with  his  journal  oi  llu- 
l;..tu-    vovayc-   of   whi.h  1  am   aboiU   lo   sprak.  and  sonu-  noU-s 
.■uiucTninu'"'him  In  his  .supc-riof.  FaUu-r  Dablon,  had  afu-rnard 
a  strange-  bisu.rv.     Allhou-h  ..iu-  o.py  of   ihc-  acvouni  of   tiu- 
MississipiM  vovaoc-  rvidc'nlly  fouiul  its  nay  to   FraiKC  and  was 
published   in  "anuUilati-d    form   in    i(.S  i ,  anollu-r  o.py  of   U-is 
,,,lalionand   llu-  journal  and  n..U-s  spokrn  of,   lay  c-nliix-ly  un- 
known  in    du-  librarv  of    tlu-  Jc-suil    C'olK--c-  al   Qm-lu-c    unl.l 
about   icSoo.      Wlu-n  Caaiada  became  an  En^disli  dominion,  ^\w 
J^.suils  :.s  a  religious  order  were  condemned  and  the  reeei^ion 
of  new  nu-mbers  forbidden.     The  last  survivor  ..f  ihem,  Fadu-r 
Cazot,  before  his  death  about  iSo(),took  the  papers  and  archives 
which   lav  in   his  haiuls  and   turned  tlu-m  over  for  safekeeping^ 


-■a»ea»y»*ag!JTJ»gM»!J^-^^'-^VJ'ifa''H^»^-^'""S^' 


■  ,-.srr^=^^--r-.j 


„ilae!»»«a»■^^sfS^S5>^l^^■i?■'.  »spa  ■■ 


J9 


until  li.ippi*'|-  liinrs,  in  llu'  <ii.i\  \uii>»  nt  tlic  llulrl  hicii.  wlm 
wi'ii'  no;  iiiiiliT  llu'  li, III  III  the  ;;u\  nniiuiil.  'I'lu'si'  liiilics  j(i\ - 
fully  '^,\\v  up  tlu'ir  iliari^i'  lo  till' Ji'suit  l'".illiri>  wlm  in  i  ■'^  | -' 
ri'-i'stiiiilislu'(l  till'  S(iiii'l\  ill  C'.in.ula.  and  in  iS^j  .M,ii(pirtlr"s 
ivlation  and  journal  and  llir  imlfs  of  I'"ailu'r  D.iIiImh,  wnr  In 
J)r.  SluM  briiu;;lit  to  li.nlil  and  pulilislird. 

I'^atlivr  .Maii]Ue'U(.'"s  iualdi  liavin^'  hi'v'ii  p.iilialK.  to  .ipprar- 
atii'i-  at  Irast.  i-i'-ostahlishi'd.  iu'  irnivcd  llir  (irdcrs  wiiiJi  lie 
soliriU'd  1(1  f.stalili>li  llir  llliiidis  niissidii.  and  (Hi  tlic  -'51I1  dl 
OildluT.  i''7|,  lu'  starti'd.  ari.  ninpanicd  In  Iwm  I'Miu  limrii 
(  "  ICnj^at^i's"  as  llu'si'  assistants  to  tlir  missionaries  \\  iti'  i  allrd  1 
and  h\  a  mimlH-r  of  Indians,  foi-  tlu'  ^iiMt  \  illai^c  of  llir  Illinois, 
wliiili  lu-  had  found  on  llu-  previous  \far  on  llic  ii\ii  of  tlif 
Illinois,  in  liis  journrx  from  llu'  Mississi|ipi  to  Lake  Mikliii^au. 
This  tinu-  tin-  journey  was  matU'  down  the  westiTii  shore  of 
Lake  iMi(.'lii;4an,  and  l''alher  .Mariiuelte  w.ilked  nnuh  of  tlu' 
\\a\  upon  the  shore,  takin;^'  boat  onl\  when  ri\  ers  or  lia\  s 
w  t'l'i'  to  he  erossi'd. 

\)\  the  middle  of  Xo\i'niher  his  maluh'  returned  and  the 
winter  heyaii,  too.  to  elose  in  around  the  devnted  wanderers. 
On  the  Jill  of  I  )eii;iiber.  107  j.  he  reaelu'd  the  L'hieayo 
ri\i'r,  and  about  six  iiiiK's  irom  its  mouth,  unable  on  aeeouiu 
of  his  iiureasiiiL;'  illness  to  ^o  further,  lu'  and  his  lompanions 
huill  some  kind  of  a  rude  eabin,  and  prepari'd  to  spend  the 
winti'r.  This  was  the  lirsl  settlement  upon  the  stream 
where  now  rise  the  towi-rs  of  thai  imperial  iit\'.  which  before 
the  ei'Utiu'N'  is  over  will  number  a  million  inhaliitants.  |aei[Ui's 
Maripu'tte  was  undoubtedly  tlu'  lirst  ri'sidenl  of  C'liieai^o,  a 
claim  in  itself,  had  he  not  other  greater  ones,  to  the  remem- 
brance   uf  jiostcrit}'.     'i'he    record   of  thai    winter,  as   told   by 


20 


b.inisrlf.  is  a  toiu-liin^'  proof  of  tlie  simple  piety  of  this  saintly  man. 
In    that    forlorn  and  siiualid  cabin,  in    Wc  and   snow,  livinn-   on 
Indian  c.rn  and  a  very  little  chance   <,'ame  shot   by  his  faithful 
Frriich  c(.mpani()ns,  or  brou.yht  to  him  by    two  trappers,  who 
were  campin-r  within    lifty   miles,  (for  he  had  sent  his  Indians 
away  to  their  destination),  stricken  by  a  wasting  and  a  mortal 
maladv,  he  thanks  (Jod  and  the  Blessed   Virgin    for  their  care 
of  him,  which  had  so  comfortably  housed   him,  he    begins    the 
Spiritual  Ivxercises   of  St.   l«,niatius,  he  confesses  his  two  com- 
panions twice  each  week,  he  says    the    Holy    Mass   each    day, 
and  he  re^nx'ts  only,  as    he   innocently   remarks,  that   he    was 
able    to    keep    Lent    only    on   Fridays   and   Saturdays.      One 
would  have  thought    that   the   austerest    idea    of  self  sacritlce 
would  have  been  perforce  satisfied  in  this  winter  encampment. 
In  March,  1675,  after  a  novena  to  the  Blessed  Vir<;in  and  in 
consecpience  of  it   as   he   at    all    events  devoutly    believed,  he 
found  himself  able  to  travel  and   pusiied  forward   for  his   pro- 
posed mission  to  the  Illinois.     By  the  Indians,  at  their  villa<,a'  of 
Kaskaskia,  he  was  received,  as  he  says,   like   an    angel    from 
heaven,  and  during  Holy  Week  be  preached  the  Gospel  to  the 
thousands  there  assembled.      Formally  he  opened  a  mission  to 
be  known  as  that  o'  the  Immaculate  Conception,  and  prom- 
ised that  some  black^-obed  priest  sho-'d  be  sent  to  take  charge 
of  and  prosecute  his  work. 

But  his  strength  was  failing  fast,  he  felt  hin:»self  that  his  sick- 
ness was  mortal,  and  he  bade  therefore  his  Indian  friends  a  sad 
good-bye  and  started  for  his  loved  mission  at  Michilimackinac, 
there  to  make  .<rrangements  for  his  successor  at  the  nission 
amontr  the  Illinois  and  then,  as  he  hoped,  to  die  in  the  arms  o£ 
his  brethren. 


From  informatioii  aftoidccl  liiin  by  the  liulians  wlioiii  hr  liatl 
visilril  lir  had  comv  to  know  of  anotluT  roulu  lo  llu'  iiortli-  a 
way.  afUTward  llir  favorite  oik'  of  LaSallr  in  liis  many  j(.ur- 
ni'vs.  Il  was  In  llu'  way  of  iIk'  Kankakrr  lirancli  of  llir  Illi- 
nois, and  a  poitanr  iIumki'  lo  tiic  Si.  Josrph  Kivrr.  tlowin:;  inlo 
La.kr  Michigan  on  its  oasli'in  shorr  at  thr  prfSL'nt  site  ot  tlir 
town  of  thai  name. 

As  Ihc    partv,  -MarqiK'Uo    and   his  two  faithful  (.-ompanions. 
madr    llioir  way  alonj;"   this  shore,  tin-   ,i;()od  FalluT"s  strcnjflh 
uUcrlv    failed.      He     lay    in    his    boat,    reeitin^'    his  breviary, 
and  his  companions  were  oblij^etl  lo  lift  him  ashore  wIumi   they 
made     iheir    ni<,dilly    encampment.       Al    last    when    tliey    Ap- 
proached    the  promontory  now  known   as  The  Sleejiin.u  15ear. 
where  stands  the  present  city  of    Ludin,Hlon.  he   could    i^'o  no 
farllKr.      Carried  ashore  by  his  companions  he  confessed  them 
both:  in  conlrilion  and  penitence  he  made  his  own  confession  m 
wrilini;-,  be<;M.in<^^  that  it    should   be  taken  to  Ids  brethren,  and 
with  the  names  of  Jesus,  Mary  and  Joseph  ujion  his  lips,  thank- 
ing God  that  he  was  allowed  lo  die  a  member  of  the  Society  of 
Jesus  and  a  missionary  of  Christ,  this  sweet,  heroic  soul  passed 
to  its  reward.      His  companions  buried  him  on  the  spot  where 
lie  died,  and  raised   a  cross  above  the   grave  and  then  kepi  on 
their  saddened  way  lo  Miclulimackinac. 
But  says  the  Jesuit  relation  of  1677  : 

"  God  did  not  choose  to  suffer  so  precious  a  deposit  lo  re- 
main unhonored  and  forgotten  amid  the  woods.  The  Kiskakon 
Indians  who  for  the  last  ten  years  have  jiublicly  iirofessed 
ChristianitA-,  in  which  they  were  lirsl  instructed  by  Father 
Marquette,  when  stationed  at  La  Poinle  du  Sair,l  Fspril  al  the 
extremity  of    Lake  Superior,  were   hunting  last  winter  on   the 


— '**^,^^^^Hf2X  ^-  -iny--; 


th 


xmks  of  ],ak.  Illinois.      As  tlu'V  uorr  r.tunn,,-  -■arly  u,  spnn^. 
Wv  rrsoU  .a  to  pass  bv  tlu.  tomb  ot-  thrir  ooocl  Fa.lu.r.  whom 

nu.;  U.-uUtK  lov.a.a.uKMKl  .vrn  ^^a .  Humu  ihr  thought  ot 
,akmn!ns  mnainsa.ul  hriu-in- llu.n  to  our  dunvh  at  thr  nu.s- 
.iun  of  St.  b.natius.at   MidulinKH-ki.KU'.  vnIumv  tlu'V  rrsulr. 

..-riu.v  a.vordinulv  ivpaiivd  t..  llu^  spot.  and.  alter  son:.  cK- 
li„,,,uion.tlu.v-rsolv.d   to   pnuv.d  with  -heir  fatluT.  as  thrv 
usuallv  do  uilh   thos.    who.n   tiny  rrsp^.t.      Tlu'V  openrd  th. 
„,„,•  ,,iv.s,.d  tin.  bodv.  and  thou,uh  th.   ll.sh    and    ,nt.stnu-s 
dri.d   up.  Ihrv  h.und    it    whol..  tin-   skin   bnn-    in   no 
,^.  .,;,,,,,.      This  did  no,  pr.v.nt  thrir   dissr.tin^  it.  aaonl- 
i,„;,.,,u.tom.      Th.v  uas!u.dtlK.bon.s  and  dm.d  then,  , nth. 
Mm       Th.n   put.in.   .h.n,  n.atlv  in  a  box  of    bitvh   bark   tluw 
.,,  out  to  b.ar  th.m  to  th.  hoi.s.  of  St.  I-natius.      Th.  convoy 
consisted  of   n.arlv  tlnrty  .ano.s.  in   .xc.U.nt  ord.r,  in.ludm^ 
,,v.n     a     ..ood    nundnr     of    Iroquois,     uh,.    had     ynu.d     our 
M.onqtuns.    to    honor  th.  ..r.n,ony.      .\s    th.y    approa.h.d 
ouri.ous..    Fath.r    Nouv.l.    who   is    Sup.rior,  w.nt    to   n,..! 
^,,„    ,i„,    K,„K.r    I'i.rson.   ac.on.pani.d    by   all  ,h.    iM'.n.h 
I.Hlians    of     th.    pla...       Having'   .au.s.d    th.  .onvoy    to 
stop,    h.     n,ad.    th.     ordi-Kuy      in..rro<iations    to    v  .r,ty  th. 
(act     that     th.     l.Hlv    whi.l>     th.y     bor.    was    , -.ally     l-allu-.- 
M„-ou.tt.-s.       Th.r..    b.for.     landm-.    h.    inlon.d    th.    •  1 ). 
l.,„f,„ulis-    in    siuht    of   tlu.    thirty    .ano.s  still    on    th.  wat.r. 
andofallth.p.npl...n   th.   shor.s.      .\ft.r  this  th.   body  was 
,arri.d  to  th.  .Innvh.  obs.rvin^  all   that   th.   ritual   pr.s.r,b.s 
for    su.h    ..r.nu.ni.s.        It     r.-nainc.!    .xpo.s.d    und.r    a    pall 
str.t.h.d  as  if  ov.r  a  o.ilin  all   that  day,  whi.h  was  lVnt.cost 
Mondav.th.SthofJtm..(-^77..      Th.  n.xt  day.  wh.n  a  1  the 
f,,„.,,,l   honors  had   b..n    paidit.it   was   d.posU.d   m    a   hltle 


th 
am 


vauU  ill  \hr  n.icUl'  ■  ..f  llu'  chiiirlu  wluTr  lu'  ivp.-srs  as  llu- 
nuarlian  an-rl  of  our  Otlaua  Missi.Mis.  TIk'  I.ulians  ..lU'M 
coiiu'  lt>  |iia\  (111  liis  luinli. 

So.  in  ilu'  il.Avrr  ..f  Lis  inaiilLMul,  thirl v-ri-lit  yrais  ol.l. 
dird.  and  with  siuh  sinipK'  and  yrt  l-.u,  hin-  .■.-■ivin-uiirs.  uas 
r„Killvburird.  FalhrrJa.-q.u-sMauiurttr.  For  a  cvnturv  atUT- 
wards  ihr  v.-va-viu-s  on  Lak.'  Midii-an.  in  Sturm  and  prril. 
lu'sunid.t  ulial  thry  brlic-vrd  t..  hv  his  saintly  intrivrssuni. 

r.ut'th.-   .■xa.-t    sitr    of   Ids  -ravi'  uasnot  known  for  nrariy 


two   luindrrd    vcars.   for    whrii    thr    miss 


ion 


was    tA'm;ioraril\ 


id.and..iuHl  in  I'joO,  du- churcli    wiiciv   ivposed    Ids   body    wa> 

burn  I'd. 

More  llian    a    lunulrrd    years   later    we    have    a    -linipse    ol 
Father  Rieliard  lookin-  for  its  site  and  the    -rave    of   a    -reat 
priest,      and.      balf      a   eenliiry    later    still,    in     1S77.      Father 
Jaeker.  then  the  priest   in    eharoe    of   the    eliureh    at    Point  St. 
lunaee.  to  the  oeneral  salisiaelion  of  the  historieal  seholars  who 
investiualed  the  matter,  ideiuilied  not  only  this  site.  biH    fomid 
some  ivlies  of  the  sainted  missionary,  wliieh  now  repose  in  the 
ehapel   of   the    Marquette    CoUe-e.    at    Milwaukee:    while    the 
M-rave   at    St.   I.^naee  is    marked   In   a  plain  but  tasteful  inonu- 
nu'iil.  to  tell  to    all   admirers  of  devotion  and  eom;'-e.  and  es- 
peeially  to  all  who  are  true  sons  and   dauu-hlers  of  the  ehureh. 
who   mav  journey  thither,  that   beneath,  tor  two  eeiituries.  lay 
all  that  was  mortal  of  that  most  intrepid  soldier   of   die    eross. 
Jaeques  Marquette. 


In  the  vear  179:.  perhaps  led  by  the  threatening  condition 
of  political  and  ecelesiastieal  affairs  in  France,  the  Superior 
General  of  the  Sulpician  Order,  sent  from  that  couiUin   to  lial- 


2-4 

tiinorr  in  thf  rniU'il  SlaU-s  a  mnnl  rr  of  yciin-;-  rcdi-siasli'S  lo 
rrporl  to  tlir  vc^.u-ralMr  liishup  Carroll  and  to  vv.rW^'  his 
,,nUTs  lor  tlu'  work  of  thr  L'luiivh  in  thr  V o\Wi\  States. 

'Vhv  ori-inal  intention  srrninl  to    hv   that    these  youn-'  men 
should  found  sneh  a  si'n.inary  as  tlu>  Sulpieian-  the  world  over 
are  noted  for      for  the  tiieol<.-ieal  trainini;-  of  priests.      Ihit  the 
need  uas  mneh  more  m-ent.  T.ishop  Carroll  thou-hl.  for  mis- 
sionary priests,  and  most   of    these   youiin-    men   aeeepted  with 
ranerness  at  the  ha!;.;S    of   the    hishop  the  offer  of  sueh  work. 
Amono-   them    was    (Jahriel    Kiehard.   a    yotm--   man    th.'ii    (.f 
iwentv-eioht  years,  horn   in   Santes   in    Franee  in  \-j(^\.      Like 
FatluT   Marquette  he   eame    Iron)  a  hi.i;hly    eonneeled    family, 
and  in  his  ease.  too.  his  mother  was  from  a  himily  ilh  strious  in 
the  reeords  of  (he  ehureh.      At  the  a-e  of   Iwenty-tive   he   had 
enti'red  tlu'  Sulpieian  orcK'r. 

I'.y  Hishop  Carroll  this  youni;-  missionary  was  assigned  a 
lerrilorial  jurisdiction  of  .ur^-al  extent,  lie  was  .i,nven  as  \'iear- 
General  the  pastoral  ehar-e  of  all  the  settlements  m  Illinois, 
and  the  missions  especially  that  had  heen  estal^lished  hy  the 
French  in  that  country  during  the  century  succeedin--  l-^ilher 
Martpiette's  lirst  visit  lo  it. 

A  few  vears  a-o.  1  had  the  pleasure  of  Lookin-^  throu.u'h  the 
re-isters  of  the  old  parish  churches  at  Fort  Chartre^  and  Kis- 
ka"kia  on  the  Mississippi  river,  and  found  that  many  of  ''h-  en- 
tries in  tlu'  latter  years  of  the  century  were  made    hy  Gahriel 

Richard. 

When  a  few  days  a-o,  I  looked  through  the  re-isters  here, 
1  found  auain  die  same  familiar  hand  in  at  least  a  hmulred  en- 
tries, revi'inu  in  nu  mind  the  interest  1  had  Ion-  felt  in  this 
pioneer   priest.       Vov    I    recooni/.ed    at   once   the    importance 


which  ht-rc  as  thi-ro  liis  duties  liad  assutiifd  in  the  historx-  uf 
tht'  c-huivh  in  Amcrita.  Thfiv  as  ht-iv  ho  had  Ih-i-ii  si'iu  at 
oiue  to  cotitinuc  the-  work  of  tiu-  hiu'  of  Frt'iich  missions  of 
thr  older  tiini-,  in  tlu-  many  settii-mcnts  and  (.-olonies  of  I'^hmuI) 
and  Canadians  and  lialf  breeds  and  theii"  descendants,  wlio 
since  the  Kni;lisn  occupation  had  fallen  into  sad  neeil  of  rej,nilar 
past(jral  care,  and  to  whom  that  pastoral  care  to  he  effectixi'  for 
good,  must  bo  by  one  of  their  own  race  and  langua^'e,  and  also 
as  at  least  a  no  less  important  office,  to  begin  in  thi.-,  western 
country  the  new  development  and  to  encourage  the  new 
growth  of  the  Catholic  Church  from  roots  to  strike  more 
deeply  than  the  old  French  missions  could,  into  the  newly  born 
American  life  and  national  character. 

In  1798,  after  a  labor  which  became  more  and  more  fruitful 
as  the  years  went  on.  Father  Richard  was  withdrawn  from 
Illinois,  and  sent  to  what  seemed  the  still  more  important  and 
promising  field  of  Detroit,  where  the  same  condition  of  affairs 
as  at  Kaskaskia,  but  on  a  larger  scale,  called  for  the  same 
kind  of  an  ecclesiastical  administrator. 

From  1794,  when  he  was  but  thirty-four  \ears  old,  until 
1832,  when  he  died  a  true  martyr's  death  at  the  age  of  sixty- 
eight,  Father  Richard's  home  and  main  work  were  at  Detroit, 
where  he  nol:)ly  performed  the  singularly  important  functions 
he  was  called  upon  in  the  Providence  of  God  to  fulfill. 

Not  forsaking  the  French  colonists,  the  descendants  of  those 
who  accompanied  Cadillac  to  Detroit  in  1701  and  of  those 
who  subsequently  came  from  Canada,  and  who  still  formeil  b\ 
far  the  greater  number  of  his  parishoners  at  the  old  St.  .Anne's 
church,  of  which  his  main  home  work  was  the  pastoral  charge, 
nor    forgetUng  either  the  Indian  Christians,  either  around  De- 


26 


tn.it   Of   ill   tin-    oullvinn-    missions  far  ..r  nrar.  hr  lU'MTtlrk'ss 
thnrou-l.lv     nro-ni/.rd,     that     aft.r     all     in     all   this  countrv 
tin-     c.ntn.llin.^    tcndcMuy     of    ihr     linu'     was     touards     ihr 
asii'iuK'iKV    ami   innxasiiin-   iniliu'iuf    ami    inipoitamn'   of    the 
uuMt    Kn-lish    sprakin,:;    viwr    that    had    o.nu'   under   CJod    to 
possess  d>e  land:  and  wiislin-  no  time  in  vain  re-rels  over  the 
,„„re  eonuen.al  or  n.n.antie  past,   he   set   his  faee  towards  the 
rising   sun.  prophesying^   of   and   preparing  the  -round  for  the 
^dorim.s  destiny  he  saw  for  the  Anu-riean  eliureh  of  the  future. 
Bui   like  St.  Paul,  he  was  ready  to  he  all  thin-s  to  all  men, 
if  haplv    he    nii-ht    save   some,  and    in    the   midst  of   the  very 
different  work,  to  whieh  1  shall  hereafter  more  parlieularly  re- 
fer, he  found  lime  to  be  tin   ilevoted   missionary  and  pastor  of 
t!u'   alni..sl    abandoned    Indians   and    half-breeds    and    French 
voya-eurs  and  traders,  who  then  lived  al  Miehiliniaekinae. 

^^1706.   as    1    have  said,   ihe    mission    al   Miehiliniaekinac 
was  leniporarilv   abandoned.      With   sad  hearts  and   reluelant 
hands    liie      Jesuit    Fathers,     thai    their     ehapel     nu-hl    not 
be    desecrated,   had    themselves   burned    it    and    their    house, 
-iven  up  their  loved   labors  at    Miehiliniaekinac   and    returned 
U)  Quebec.      This    was    because    the    French    commandant  at 
Miehiliniaekinac.  Cadillac,  had   removed   !<>   and   fortilied   the 
present  site  of  Detroit  and  most  of  the  Indians  who  had  settled 
liere.   led   bv   the    material   inducements   held  <nit  by  Cadillac, 
had  followed  him  there.      Some  remained,  however,  and  more 
returned,   and   the    mission    of   Michilimackinac   was   soon   re- 
established, this  time,  however  on  the  other  side  of  the  straits, 
now  known  as  Old    Mackinaw.      I  lither  had  come  the   saintly 
Jesuit   missionaries    Marest.     I.amorinie.    He  Jaunay    and   Le 
Franc,    laboring   zealously   and   elFiciently  anion-   the   Indians. 


-/ 


W  r  latili  olim|->si's  of  lliis  mission  in  tlu'  pa^i's  of  C"li;iiK'- 
\-oi\*s  history,  hut  thrsr  palish  ri'i;istiTs  Iutc  air  tlu'  brst  i'\i- 
(li'iur    of   the  laliors  ami  sikhh'ss  of   thrsc  ilcxoti'd  mt'ii 

lUil  ill  i-jO:  C'hoisi'ul  (h-oM-  ihv  l-'icmh  ji'suits  fiom  their 
colK'^i's,  and  suir(.'ii(kT(.'ii  thi-  possessions  of  l-'raiue  in  AnuTiia 
to  Iui<;lan(l.  aiul  without  ihv  mai;iiitii'eiit  powi-r  and  i'ncr<,rv  of 
tlu'  Society  of  [esus  lu'liiml  it,  llie  mission  at  MiiliiMmaikinae 
lan^uislied.  and  althounh  not  abandoned,  the  faitlifnl  in  its 
tloek  were  obliged  to  depend  on  visits,  more  or  less  freuiient, 
from  \arious  missionar\   |iiiests. 

IJetween  i76.%\vlu'ii  I  )u  Jaunay  left  Arbe  C'roelie  (now  Har- 
bor Sprin<.jsj  and  Miehilimackinac,  and  1 799,  u  hi'ii  Kieliard 
visited  the  mission,  (iibiuiU,  I'ayet,  J.eihHi,  Levadoux.  all 
names  ilhistrious  amono-  the  post-Jesuit  missionaries  to  tiie  In- 
dians, had,  as  these  reoisters  attest.  In-en  here  at  intervals,  and 
wlien  they  eame.  llu-re  thronoed  here  to  meet  them  the 
Christian  men  and  women.  Freiuh  and  Indian,  of  the  settle- 
ment, often  to  Ih-  married  or  to  have  their  ehildren  baptized, 
more  often  for  the  supplemental  eeremonies,  and  the  blessing- 
of  the  Church,  on  lay  baptisms  already  administered  or  mar- 
riatre:;  already  contracted  before  some  civil  ma<ristrate. 

These  parish  re<;isters  here  contain  some  verv  curious 
records  durin<r  these  years,  made  b)-  lay  otlicials,  of  baptisms 
and  marriaifes  and  sepultures. 

In  the  ma'.ter   of   baptisms,   especially,  the  people,   well   in- 
structed  in   t!ie   eflicacy  of  lay  baptism,    in    the   absence   of  a 
priest  frequently  applied  to  those  best   able  to  keep    a  record. 
Thus,  there  is  thi-  one  entry  (in  French,  which  1  have  trans- 
lated): 

"The  thirtieth   of  Au<,rust,    1781,  was   baptized   Domilille, 


2S 

'•John  Coati'-^i 

<-^  \ulitry  PiihJic'' 

,,,„,ai.t.ly  below  this  cnu-y  is  anoth  r  still  n..-o  r.mavk- 
,bk.  It  is  iti  the  sa,nc.  hanchvritinK  c-vuk-ntly,  that  of  J..hn 
Ccatc-s,  tlH-  notary  public.     This  entry  is  in  ICn^rhsh: 

..  I  cerlifv  vou  that,  accordin^^  to  the  clue  and  prescnbed 
order  of  the  Church,  at  noon,  <.n  this  day,  and  at  the  above 
place,  before  divers  witnesses,  1  baptized  tins  clnld,  Charlotte 

^''''''■'-'''  »  (Signed)  1'.  W.  SiNcuMK, 

-  IJ.  Goicnwr  ami  Justice  of  tl>r  Pane. 

u  Witnesses:     Wili'an^  'orant,  John  McNamara,  1).  McRay, 
George  Meldrum.  ^^^^^^^  ^^^^^^^ 

'''■  Sotary  P'Mic''' 

This  last  entry,  without  date  as  it  is,  or  the  names  of  the 
parents,  is  hardly  a  suflicient  baptismal  register  to  g-  - 
Lch  information  for  these  later  days,  but  ,t  ,s  ev.dentb  the 
record  of  a  certificate,  insisted  upon  by  the  parents  and  Kucn 
to  them  by  Major  Sinclair,  then  c<,mmander  of  the  post  for 
the  Endish  Government. 

,„  .he  n,c.m,ms  of  Au«us.us  Gri,:,„o„.  pMblisW.l  ,n  .  ,o  W,s- 
cnsin  Ilislorical  C,.llco.i,„>s,  is  a  passage  rclacns;  l.mv  h,s 
„,„„H.r,  who  was  a  dauKht.r  of  Charles  Langlade  who  w 
born  in  Mackinac  in  ,7.9,  can.e  with  her  ch,l<l.en  a  1  the  v,u 
;  a  bi,ch  canoe,  from  Greer  Ha,  u,  Mackinac  ,„  have  then, 
baptized  by  Father  I'avet,  who  was  ntaking  a  v.stt  here  u, 


29 


adekMne 


Puhln-r 

rrniark- 
of  Jolin 

rescribt'cl 
le  above 
CliarluUe 

'//(•  Peace. 
.  McRay, 

V  Pnhlier 

lies  of  the 
o  give  us 
idently  the 
and  given 
le   post  for 

in  the  Wis- 
jr  how  his 
L',  wlio  was 
all  the  way 
)  have  them 
;isit  here  in 


rr,i    I) 


f    I'i. 


Tfl' 


F/Sy,      Thcsi'  rcLjisli'is    lonliiin    tliis.      Si\  iliilil 

(irigiKiii.  Iioiii  Idur  mmillis  lo   trii  xt'ars  idd.  were  at  ih.il  tiiiie 

h.i|iti/cil. 

Oil  OIK'  of  thrse  missioiiarv  \  isits.  i-anifto  Miehiliinaikinar.  in 
I7()i).  thr  suiiji'ii  of  lliis  .sketch.  l'\itiKT  Kiihard.  Ilr  fnuiid 
hiTi',  \\i'  arc  told,  ahiiut  700  C 'liristiaiis.  and  spent,  as  litis 
register  slidus.  si'\aTal  weeks  at  least  in  iiiiiiistri-iiiL;-  to  their 
s|iiiilu.il  neii'ssitii's.  I'^roin  here  lie  unit  to  (ieoi^iaii  Bav 
and  to  the  Saull  Sle.  .Marie,  and  then,  after  an  absmee  of  f(air 
months,  retnrned  to  Di'troit.  'I'lie  siureediiiL;'  t\\ent\  \earsof 
leather  Riehard's  lili'  wiTe  marked  b\  an  e\ieedingi\  L;reat 
aelivily:  madi'  \'iear-(  ieneral  of  Detroit,  and  ^ivcn  a  frt'i' 
liand.  li.  enlarged  and  improved  all  the  parochial  and  mission 
schools:  he  op-MU-d  an  aiadem\  of  a  \(r\  high  class  for  the 
higher  education  of  wonien.  I  le  also  instituted  .ind  i  arrii'd 
on  a  si'minar\'  lor  xoung  m.'ii.  and  i-ndcavored  to  obtain  from 
among  its  pupils  lit  candulales  for  tlu-  prii'sihooil.  of  which 
he  had  pressing  neeil. 

In  1S05.  ill  a  liri'  which  almost  entireb'  d.'stroved  the  cit\-. 
Father  Richanl's  church  and  presbvterx  and  sihools  were 
burned.  I?ut  far  from  discouraging  him.  tlu'  calamitx  seems 
but  to  have  reanimated  his  zeal,  and  he  soai  had  rt'lniilt  the 
church  and  re-established  his  school  -v<upplving  the  latter  with 
chemical  and  astronomical  apparatus. 

In  iSo/,  belie\ing  that  the  lime  had  full\  come,  hi-  tvstab- 
lished  a  series  of  ICnglish  si-rmons  i;i\en  i-verx  .'^utlda\•  in  the 
Council  I  louse  of  the  tlu-n  newb  established  Ti'iritoiv  of 
Michigan. 

In  rSoS  and  '9  he  visted  his  bishop  at  Baltimore,  and  went 
to   other   eastern    cities,  bringing   back    with    him  a   printer,  a 


.?o 


priiiliii^-pi  is>  ami  a  Imil  u|  old  t\pc.  Tlii^  lias  luiti  said  tci 
ha\i'  lu't'ii  till'  III  >t  pi  inline-puss  w  isl  nl  ihc  .\llii;iianirs. 
It  iritainU  was  tlu'  liisl  in  Mii'lii^iaii.  (  )n  tins  piiss  w  m- 
piiiitrd  siimr  ilt\  otional  Imoks.  an  I'ditiun  (it  tlir  cpisllrs  and 
Mt.>prls  in  I'niuh  and  I'Jij^lish.  and  various  iihualional 
hooks.  A  iop\  of  onr  of  llu'Sf  sniall  books  lor  iiiildirii 
I  aili'd  Journal  di's  ICnfanIs,  printi'd  in  I-'rciuh  and  l^n^lisli  on 
alliTiiali'  pa^(.'s.  brloiiHS  lo  nir,  and  is  luif  and  is  sulij(.'(.t  to 
\oni-  inspi'cliiiii.  1  lannot  s.iy  iiiikIi  for  tlu'  t\  po^raphiial 
I'M'iution.  Inil  till'  inatU'f  si\'ins  to  iiu-  usi'ful  and  ;;(iod. 
l'"allu'r  X'itali.  tilt'  ]irirst  of  this  mission.  o\\  lis  and  visi's  on 
all  pubru'  si'ix  ill's  onr  of  llif  I'dition  of  tlii'  I'pisdi's  and  gospel 
rrfi'rri'd  lo,  and  this  also  is  lii'ii'. 

hi  1S12  l''allii'r  Kiiliard  iinporti-d  from  Europi-,  fur  his 
(.luirch.  an  01  f^aii,  ihf  iirsl  vwv  brou<;hl  to  thi'  Norlh-wi'sl. 

Ill  1S12  laiiii'  llu'  ICii^lish  war.  .\idril  by  llii'  Indians  llu' 
ICniilish  took  Dflroil,  and  oiu'  of  ihi'ir  lirst  aiis  w  as  to  im- 
prison  h'alhi'r  Riihard.  on  llir  ground  thai  hi'  was  an  instiga- 
tor and  I  .\iitL-r  of  aiiti-ICny'lish  fi'i'lini;-.  Si-nt  to  a  uuard-hoiisi- 
on  till'  otlu'i  sidi'  of  thi'  ri\  I'r  hr  iisi-d  his  <,nx'at  inllui'iui'  and 
oxprririiii'  with  thr  Indians  to  savi- llu- oth^'r  prisoiii-rs  Ironi  tor- 
ture. On  his  ri'lnrn  to  Detroit  at  the  elose  ofthe  war,  he  found 
his  lloek  threatened  with  famine.  Seiidiii<;- .iway,  he  procured 
and  distributed  [>ro\  isioii  and  seed:  •' eoiitimiini;,""  as  has  been 
said  b\  .mother,  •■  as  loii^-  as  the  scarcity  lasted,  t(^  be  the  liv- 
ing; l'ro\  idi'iice  of  the  destitute."" 

In  the  meantime  he  had  not  for<;()tlen  the  poor  llock  at 
Miehilimackinac.  lie  had  sent  them  already  once  or  twice 
his  faithful  assistant,  Father  Dilhet,  and  at  last  iu  1S21,  bein^f 
tiftv-seveii  years  old,  he  again  himself  bra\ed  the  hardships  of 
the  wilderness  to  conie  and  visit  them. 


31 

Ilr  Weill  111  Ailiic    C'iikIu'    .ilsii    lit    lliis    tiii;r    ;iiul  was   r<iii 
iliu'tfd  In'  llii'  Itidiiiiis  ;it  hi',  rniurst  t)   tlic  s|vit   wIhtc  l'",itliri- 
M;iii|ni'H»'    was     liist     Inirifil.       To     liniiiir    tlir     fiuiuKT    ni' 
Maikiiiac    and    the   disinxi'ii'i"  of    llie    Mississipjii   he  laised   a 
woddeii  iidss  over  ihe  spdl  eiiltinL;  wilh  liis  knife  iip<in  it. 

l''i-  I  M Aluji  i;i'ii'; 
I  )ied  hiMi'    1st    Max    l^Js. 

On  till'  fiilldwin^  Suiidax  he  eelehrati'd  mass  mi  t\\v  spot 
and  pi'dndiMU  ed  an  eli>^iuni  mi    the  L;i"eat  ini>s;i)iiaf\'. 

I'lohabK  he  tluui^iit  Niariiuelle"s  itiiiains  slill  la\  there,  but 
perhaps  not.  for  apart  from  tlie  view  j^ained  ot  Kiehaid's  \  isit 
at  lliis  lime  fidm  tliesi'  ri';^isters.  we  lateli  a  \er\  inleresliii;^ 
j^Hnip.-e  of  him.  in  a  KttiT  written  b\-  I'athei- jaeker  in   iSSO. 

1  le  sa\  s  that  a  wrv  hoiii'sl  and  iiilelli^ent  hidiaii,  then  li\in^", 
one  Josepli  Misala^<i.  told  him  that  in  iSji  lie  met  Father 
Rifhard  lost  in  the  woods  back  of  the  piesi'iil  siU'  ot  .'>t.  Iniiace 
when.'  he  had  i^oni' in  sean.h  of  an\'  tiMies  that  minhl  e\isl  of 
a  chureh  wlu're  it  was  said  a  ^reat  priest  was  Inirietl. 
Whether,  howexer,  I'^ither  Kiehard  hail  associated  this  tra- 
dition with  the  final  reslin^;  plaee  of  .M.irquette  is  doubtful. 

In  iSj,^  the  most  ri'iiiarkable  episode  in  the  life  of  this  /.eal- 
<nis,  eiu'r^i'tic  priest  oixuri'ed.  We  have  all  of  us  known 
man\'  Catholic  priests  who  were  sehool-teaeheis.  inan\  that 
wi-re  publishers  and  nuisicians,  anil  all  of  them  aie  in  some 
sense  missionaries,  Init  except  I'^ather  Riihard  1  think  no  one 
is  known  who  was  a  cmif^n-essman.  Hut  in  1S23  (ialMiel 
Richard  bv  a  larj^e  majority  was  elected  as  a  delegate  from 
the  territorv  of  .Michi^.m  to  the  Xatioiial  liou.^e  ot  Kepre- 
seiilati\  I's.      His  a|ipearanci'  in  Washington  creati'd  sonii' si'ii- 


.?■: 


saiii'ii.  ImU  111' \\;i>  snoii  .1  t.aoritf   aiiuiii:;   liis  iclU'.ij^iu-s  ami  in 
ihi'  >(>iiil\  (it  llu'  lapilal. 

I  lis  ap|HMiaiui'  al  lliis  liiiif  lia>  bicn  di-M  i  ibfd  1\\  orif  i.l  his 
iniilfiii|)iii  aril's;  1  lia\i'  iKit  1)\  nic  tlir  WDiilsiii  wliiili  il  w.is 
(ioiir  lull  1  know  thai  lir  is  saiil  l(  >  lia\  r  liri'ii  t.ill  ami  spaii'. 
tli'iniruil  ami  asdlii'  Imikiiit^.  will)  iiii  iiiU'lU'iliial  IumiI  ami 
niciiiiin'  Maik  cm'S.  lie  was  nt  siiupuloiis  matiU'ss  in 
atliii'   aiul   |HTsiiii. 

W'hilf  ill  L'diinii'ss    \\v  iiiailr  al  Irasl  diu'    iiiiiiintaiil    sprn  li. 

II  w  asioiu  iTiiin^  a  pnipnstd  appinpriatiiiii  lor  a  militarv  ro.id 
Irnin  hclidil  to  l''(>it  Drarborn  aiul  llu'  nioiuh  (it  the  C'liiiano 
y'wvv.  ami  li  lU'  !••  his  iharaitiT  as  a  ImildiT  lor  the  tutmi'.  du' 
Siifiiiioiis  pioiU'iT  ill  ihf  lU'W  order  ol  ihiii^^s,  as  we'll  as  ihc 
faithlul  iiilu  ritoi  of  tlu'  old.  hr  pr(.|ilu'sird  du'  liilurc  ^^icatiu'ss 
ami  iiiiportami'  di    the  si'UK'iiu'iil  upon  this  loialioii. 

Hut  I  think  wi'iiiax  1h'  sun-  that  ot  all  tlu' Kiruial  doiuimnts 
whiih  till  uiuU'r  his  i'\'  .  hr  luuiul  iioiu'  iiiori'  iiili'ii'sliiig  than 
till'  follow  iiii;'  |H'lilioii  si'iit  to  L'oiii;ri'ss: 

••  \\\'.  till' iimlrrsi;4iK'(Uliii'ls.  lu'.iils  ot  faiiiilii'S  and  otluTs  ot 
tlu'  trilu'  ot  ( )itawas.  rt'siiliiii;-  at  Aibrr  C'iikIu'.  on  tlu-  fast 
hank  of  I.aki-  Miihi(;aiu  taki'  this  means  to  (.(iiuiiuiiii(.-atL'  to 
our  fatluT.  tlu'  I'li'siik'iit  of  thr  I'liitrd  Stall's,  our  ri'iiiu'sts 
and  wants.  We  thank  our  fatluT  and  Congress  for  all  the 
I'tforls  tlu'\-  have  made  to  draw  us  to  ei\  ili/.alion  and  the 
kno\vledij;e  of  Jesus.  ri'iU'einer  of  the  reil  man  and  the  white, 
'rrustinin  in  Nour  p.itenial  udoilm'ss  we  elaini  liberty  oi  eoii- 
seienee,  and  bey'  Nou  to  (^ranl  us  a  master  or  minister  oi  the 
<>()si>el.  iHloimini;  to  the  same  soeielx  as  the  members  of  the 
C'.itholie  Soeii'tv  of  St.  Ignatius,  formerly  established  at  Mieh- 
ilimaekinae   ami    Arbre    Croelie    by     Father    Maniiietle,    and 


.1.1 

olliiT  missiun;irif>.  i>\  ihc  ui<lri'  nt  jtsiiil'^.  TIicn  it^idtd 
I<||l^  \  r.ii's  .iiiiuml;'  us.  'rin\  I  iilli\  .iIimI  ;i  lirld  nii  mir  Icni- 
l(>r\    III  Icii  li  i!>  llif  prinripli>  nl    .i^rii  iilliirc   .md  C'liii>ti;iiiit  \  . 

SiiHf  tli.it  liuH'  \\  I'    li.i\i'    ;il\\,i\s    (loircil    siruihir    iniiiist'  ■ 
If    \iiii  LjiMiit  ii^  tlifin.  \\c  \\  i  I  iiuiti'  llu'iu    tn  live  uii  ihc   s;i,'i,. 
niduiul  liniiU'rU  (K\upii(l  In    I'.itlifr  \)\\    |.iiiii;i\ .  mi  llir  banks 
of    Lakt'  .Mirlii^an.  luai   nur  \  ill.i^c  nt    .Xrluc  C'lotlir. 

If  \(iii  LjiMiit  this  liuiiilili'  ft'i|iirsi  (if  Miur  lailliliil  iliildrcii. 
tlu'\  will  be  rlcrii.ilb  ^lalclul.  and  will  pra\  tlir  (iicat  Spiiil 
to  pom   lorili  bis  blcssinn^  on  tlir    w  bites. 

In  lailli  bi'icoi.  we  lia\c  srl  unr  nanits  tliis  da\'.  Aiij.^iist   i  ., 

1 1  \w  K.  C'k  \m:.  I>i  \h. 

\'\-\\.  I",  \(.i.i:.  ."-^  I  \<i. 

L'  Nil  Ki'ii.i.  \i<.  I''l.^  i\(;  i''i'-ii."' 

.\ftrr  l'"atln'f  Kiiliard"s  cKTlion  to  C'on;4i-i'ss  be  lainr  for  tlic 
lliird  tiinr  to  Mirbilimai  kinar.  in  .\ul;'us1.  iS-'.v  as  tlir 
ri'jLjisU'i"  lu'ii'  sliows.  lu'  w  .IS  anions  tlic  llmk  b.ipti/in;^'  and 
niarr\inL;  and  doiilitlcss  rvbortinii.  nKdiiia^ini^  and  i  (inlirniinL;', 
and  it  is  to  In'  pri'sunu'd.  i'\|ilaiiiiii^  to  ibc  inbabitants  of  tliis 
out-ol-tbi'-w  a\'  IronliiT  post,  tlirir  ilulirs  as  liti/.riis  of  tiic 
idni|iarali\  il\  nrw-bnni  rr]niblii\  as  wril  as  of  tln'  i^ri'al  king- 
dom not  of   tins  Wdild. 

W'idi  bis  rrturii  to  Detroit  from  tbis  \isit  bis  dimt  I'lrrsonal 
coniu'clion  wilb  tbr  mission  I'nds.  but  be  siait  tlu'ri-aftcr  bis 
assistants.  I'^atber  Hadin  and  I'allu'i"  l)v  jtan.  lor  visitations  to 
his  spiritual  ibikbi'ii  bcri',  anil  siiur  .'S^o  tluaT  lias  iicNrr 
failed  for  anv  ronsiderable  time  to  1h'  a  residrnt  inissionar\- 
priest  at  Miibilimaekinae.  ie|iri'sentt'd  now  botb  b>  tbe  mission 
cif   St.  .\nne  de  Miebilimaekinae  on  tlu'  island  itsell    and  b\  tbe 


34 


parisli  cluuch  al  I'oiiil  vSt  lonaii-.  lUit  it  is  tlir  cluirih  lure, 
ri'inovcd  from  ilu'  niaiiilaiul  on  tlu-  SoutluTii  l\'ninsiila.  iliat  is 
t(.'i.luii(.all\-  and  aiturati'iy  in  llu'  Iriu'  siKxi'ssion  to  tlic  lirsl 
cstablishrd  mission  at  Mirliiliinackinaf. 

Fathrr  Kiiliaitl  was  like  PalliiT  Mariiurttt'.  (U'stiiu'd  for  du- 
subliniL-  lionors  of  niarl\  rduin,  not  ti'clinically  so  called,  hul  it 
would  scL'in  as  roally  and  truly  as  though  il  wcro  the  tomahawk 
or  llu'  fat^-ot  instead  of  disease  that  wroii^ht  their  death. 

In  iS,:!2  the  Asiatic  cholera  de\astaled  Detroit.  Xiy;ht  and 
(lav  leather  Richard  devoted  himself  to  tlu'  sick  and  the  tlyii\i( 
of  his  ilock.  Allhou<,di  almost  se\-enly  years  old  he  ^axe  him- 
self no  rest,  and  llnally  worn  out.  he  succumbed  to  the  dread 
disease.  H\-  his  d\  in^'  bed  were  the  saintly  Fenwick.  his  bishop, 
and  his  voun^er  friend  and  disci|ile.  Frederic  liarai^a,  who 
became  afterward  the  revered  liishoj-i  of   Marijui'tle. 

lie  is  buried  beneath  the  altar  of  St.  Aniu'"s  in  Detroit.  On 
the  noble  facade  of  the  city  hall  in  that  city,  with  that  of  Father 
INIarquette  and  of  LaSalle  and  of  Cadillac,  his  statue  preserves 
for  Detroit  his  nuinory. 

It  ^■■■ems  to  me  that  it  woidd  be  a  ij^racefu  and  apjiropriate 
ihinjj;"  for  some  lover  of  Mackinac,  some  day  ti  place  in  the 
mission  church  of  St.  Anne  de  Michilimackinac.  a  jilain  mem- 
orial window,  commemoratini>-  these  two  heroic  tij^ures  con- 
nected with  its  history — Jacques  Marquette  and  (Jabriel 
Richard. 


THE  PARISH  RHGISTHl^  AT   MICHII.IMACKIN'AC. 


IT  is  a  fair  (.■ouiitrv  which  Vws  .^50  mik-s  to  tin-  uortli  at  the 
oliuT  v\u\  of  Lake  Mi(.'hii,Mii.  I'lir  ••  fairy  islr  '"  of  M.uk- 
inac  ami  thi'  (.-oimtrv  rouiul  aliout.  all  oiui'  known  as  Mirhili- 
niackinac.  with  the-  wiiulinif  sliori-s  and  tin-  lu'a\  v  wootlsot  llu- 
Xorthi'in  and  Soutlu-rn  pt'iiinsulas  of  Mirhi^aii.  tlu'  sil\ n  straits 
bc'twcrn,  and  tin-  picturi'sqiu-  islands  all  about  form  a  pano- 
rama to  till'  (.harms  of  which  no  |H'rson  is  vwv  insrns:hk'. 

And  to  OIK-  at  alt  intcrcsti'd  in  thi'  (.'arly  history  ot  Anu'riia, 
tlu'  ploasuri'  which  hr  may  derive  from  tin-  natural  aeKanta^i's 
of  Mackinac  is  intonsilicd  and  hrii;htcni'd  by  llu'  associations 
which  cluster  about  tlie  country.  Human  interest  and  Innnan 
s\tnpath\  alwa\s  "glorify  natural  scenerx .  and  Maikinac  is  ci-r- 
tainlv  not  wanlinif  in  these  elenu-nls. 

For  some  vears  past  Mackinac  Island  has  been  the  summer 
home  of  m\  family,  and  1  ha\e  I'scaped  from  the  city's  dust 
and  cinders  as  often  and  as  loti^-  as  I  could  to  enjoy  it  with 
them.  One  of  tin-  pk'asantest  thini,rs  connected  with  my  \aca- 
lions  has  bei'i)  the  enioynu'tit  of  the  associations  which  cluster 
about  the  little  church  of  the  parish  of  St.  .\nne  di-  Michili- 
mackinac.  at  which,  of  course,  we  are  worshipers.  I  can 
never  help  renu'inberinif.  as  I  kneel  before  its  altars,  that  the 
mi.ssion  was  founded  by  that  heroic  and  saintly  priest,  Mar- 


.^^ kr 


:/^ 


iliu'ttc:  tli;it  it  was  llu'  si'i'iic  tluTrafliT  ot  llir  labors  ot  liis 
wiiiiln  MKii'ssuis  anioiii;  ••  tlir  jirii'Sls  (it  tlu-  soiii'ty  ulidin 
two  idiitiiaiils  lia\t.'  iKliL;lUi'il  to  lioiior  as  tlir  most  drMitcil  aiul 
glorious  iiiissioiiarii's:  tlial  it  was  coiitiiiurd  t!iidiii;li  ilark  aiul 
lr\iii<;-  tiiius  to  hotli  cluuih  and  slatr  wlirn  I'^ri'iuli.  and 
lCii_i,disli.  and  Aim-iii.  ans  w  rii'.  In  turn.  stii\  iiii;  lor  lla-  niasti'iy 
of  tlu'  idiintry.  and  that  ,ill  tiiat  time  it  has  prrsrrvcd  an  liis- 
torit-.  1'i.i.li'siaslii.al  (.oiitinuity.  Within  ils  saiiisty  is  a  sit  of 
iuMvv  Mack  \rstnirnts.  rlalioratrly  worked  with  i,Mnliroid- 
iTv  of  tlu'  lime  of  Louis  XIW  In  thrm  mass  was  prrhaps 
said  at  the  mission  wlu'ii  thr  i'ii,dUirnth  rrntmy  IkuI  haitUy 
lH'i;un.  A  lihorium.  too.  is  usril,  whiih  was  made  and 
sent  from  l-'ianci.'  durini;-  tlu'  rfii;n  of  thi'  ^ranil  monanh. 
and  numi'i-ous  small  artick'S  of  church  furnituri'  anil  some  rude 
pictures  t'\identl\  of  the  same  date  can  he  seen  there  by  the 
curious  for  the  askini;-. 

The  lirst  chajiter  in  the  history  of  Mackinac  was  but  a 
short  one,  but  il  was  the  most  intereslino-  of  all.  It  be^an 
wlien  jacipies  Marquette,  in  1O71.  following  his  Huron  con- 
\erls.  who  were  llviii!;-  from  the  Westerii  and  the  Southern 
shores  of  Lake  Superior  before  the  lierci'  reven<;elul  wrath  of 
the  Sioux,  settled  with  them  at  Point  St.  Inrui^.e.  as  he  nameil  it. 
and  built  a  chapel  uniler  which  he  was  hurieil  six  yeai  s  after. 
That  cha|ner  closed,  to  the  yreat  i;rief  of  Marquelle's  Jesuit 
successors  wlio  had  been  in  chari^e  of  the  mission  and  who 
ha<l  laboreil  anion;;-  the  sa\ai;e  tribes  with  the  most  I'licourai;- 
uil;  and  satisfactory  results,  sliorlly  after  Cadillac,  the  con\- 
mandant  in  charge,  had  rcmoxed  tlu'  L;arrison  to  Detroit  in 
1701.  lie  held  out  all  possible  inducements  both  to  the 
C'luistiani/ed  and  non-chrisliani/.ed   Indians  about  Mackinac  to 


37 

lo!!n\v  liim.  lUil  lu'  liiul  (.luarrrlrd  uilli  tlir  Jrsuils  aiul  would 
ha\  I'  iKHK'  but  Ri'(.-(ilUl  friars  in  his  nrw  scitU'uu'iU.  So  in 
17(16.  wuli  sad  lirarls.  to  ]in.'\rnt  its  disci  ration,  llu' Jesuit 
tallu  rs  burnt  tlu'ir  (.-haiirl  al  I'l.  M.  I;;naii'.  and  rrlirrd  un- 
doubtnlU  witli  all  llir  ari'hi\rs  of  tlir  mission  to  (jiu'lu'i.-. 
W'iiat  has  briciuu'  of  the  rrj^isters  which  tluw  nnist  lia\i' 
ki'|n.  1  do  not  know.  If  tlH'\  an-  in  (.'xistrnir.  1  should  tliink 
tb.c\  would  ha\r  bri'n  liefoie  tiiis  disiov nril.  by  sonu'  suih 
si^holar  ami  in\  estij^ator  as  I  )r.  SIum.  who  lias  done  so  nnu  li 
in  hrinnini;'  to  lii;iu  documents  of  thi--  tinu-  and  i.harai  trr. 

'I'hr  next  ehaplrr  in  the  histoi-\'  ol  .Mackinae  brains  w  lirii 
the  Mission  was  re-(.'stabli>hed  in  1 7 1  J.  jirobabh-  b\-  l'"atlu-r 
Maresl.  upon  the  ollua'  sitle  of  tiir  straits,  near  the  sili'  ol  what 
is  now  known  as  Old  Maekin;u'.  This  was  eontenipiraneous 
will)  the  re-istablishinent  of  tlu'  I''oit  by  I  )i'  Lou\ii;'ny.  sitU 
for  ib.ai  pi.rposi'  b\-  the  (io\  ernor  (leniTal  of  Canada.  It  is 
staled,  I  kn<i\\  not  upon  what  aiuhoiitx.  In  those  wlio  |iretend 
lo  kn<iw  that  a  si'iond  and  new  ilunH'h  was  built  at  this  jiost 
in  17,1.  I  think  that  this  su]>po>ition  is  made  in-iruipally  iu'- 
eause  of  the  faet  that  the  lirst  jiarish  reLjistiT  w  hieii  has  eome 
lo  oiii'  limes  was  exiiieiilK'  be^iin  al  that  date.  It  may  be, 
howe\er.  that  tluTe  exists  e\idenei'  ol  the  building;'  ol  a  new 
chiuch  in  1741.  I  do  not  pretend  to  have  madi'  ;:;i_\  thoroui;'h 
invL'stii^alion  of  the  malUr.  lie  tlial  as  it  may.  then'  w  a.s 
Sdiiic  c'hureh  for  the  .Mission  u|ion  ihi^'  south  shoi-e  of  tlu'  straits 
of  Maekinae  from  171 J  until  about  1 7'^5.  when  il  seiMus  lo 
ha\e  been  taken  ilow  n  and  its  maleriai  used  m  the  eonstrue- 
lion  of  tlie  mission  ehureli  al  tlu-  Islaml  of  .Maekinae  itself, 
whither  the  I'orl  had  bei'ii  In  the  Iuii;lish  removed  ti\e  years 
ln'fore.      This  se(.'ond  ehapte'r  in  the    liistorx   ol    .Mai,kinai'.  as  I 


wmikl  (liviik-  its  story,  lasted  until  tlu'  AiiU'iican  I'ur  Coinpi'r.y 
hail  practifalU-  taki'i)  i-ntiri'  possi-ssioii  of  tin-  tradiiiy,-  jiost.  ami 
it  had  ci'asi'd  to  lu'  to  any  nriMl  fXtiMit  tlu'  lu'adquartrrs  of  tlu- 
indcpriuU'nt  traik-rs  and  of  the  old  (.-oiiroiu-s  dv  bois.  tin-  voy- 
ayi'in-s  and  tlu'ir  i'ni^ai;fs. 

It  was  of  all  this  pL'riod  that  1  had  hoped  to  find   tlu'  I'eelrsi- 
astieal  rei'ortl.      It  was  one  of  roniantie  interi'sl.  not  ln'causr,  as 
tlu-  pi-i'\  ioiisehaptoi-  was.  especially  eonneeted  with  the  glorious 
niissionarv  zeal  and  efforts  of  the  Society  of  Jesus,  but  because 
full  of  a  more  worldly  but  hartlly  less  adventurous  spirit.     With- 
in this  period  occurred  the  _i;ri-at  French  and  Indian  w  ars.  w  luii. 
as  Macaulev  savs.   -In  order  that    Frederick  the  (Jreat   nii,i;ht 
rob  a  mii;hhor  whom  hv  had  jironiised   to  cU'fi'ud.  black    nu'ii 
foui,dU  on  the  coast  of  Coramandel  and  red  men   scalped   each 
other  b\  the  <,neat  lakes  of  North  America."     Then  came  the 
surrender  antl  cession  of  Canada  to  the  l-2n_i;iish.  when  '•  bi^'ots 
and  panders     and    lackeys    the    fortunes     of    France   had  un- 
done," and  after  that  be^ran  the  revolt  of  the  .American  colonies, 
the  tinal  possession  of  the  colonies  about  Mackinac  by  the  new- 
government  anil  the  subsei,uenl  stru^^le  w  ith  I-:ii,i;land  in  w  hich 
it  was  A'^iuu  the  co\  etetl  prize  of  contendin<;-  forces.       Hut   the 
earliest   re<;ister  which   I'xists   was,   as   I   have   said.   be,L,nm    in 
1741.       It    contains    a    short    abridgment    of  entries  from     a 
former   register,  which    is   declared   by  it   still  to   exist    in   the 
archixts  of  the  mission,  but  the  abridgment  is  extremely  short, 
and  the  oriijinal  from  w  hich  it  is  taken,  can  nowhere  be  found. 
The  lirst  (■(nilciitportinrtui:^  entry  is  the  baptism  of  one  Louis 
Joseph  Chaboyer  upon  October  4.  1741.  by  Jean  Baptiste  La- 
morinie.  a  missionary  of  tlu-  Society  of  Jesus,  and  its  last  is  of  a 
baptism    performed   by  Father   (Jabriel    Richard,    in    .Vu,i,aisl. 
1S21. 


39 


It  is  a  iiuTi' ac'i'ick'iU  llial  llu' rc^isUi- iiuls  jusl  wlirir  it  dors. 
'Vhv  spair  in  tlu-  book  was  rxliausti'd  ami  a  lU'U  oiu'  lu'^im  In' 
l"\itluT  Kiihard  at  this  last  date  of  .\ui;'ust.  iSji.  'I'lu'  liiiu', 
how  r\  IT,  ic)n"c'S]iciiuls  (.losch  t'iioiiy;h  with  tlu'  clost-  of  tin- 
second  chapter  in  ihr  hislorx  ol  Mackinac,  which  I  ha\c  pic- 
vionsK'  indicated.  A  transi  i  iption  of  this  register,  I  ha\c  with 
nic.      it  is  of  course  in  I*'reiK'h. 

Ikdore  we  turn  to  tlu'  ri'n'isler  itself.  I  will  hrielly  adxHTt  to 
the  character  and  condition  of  tlu'  settlement  at  the  time  this 
record  bej^ins.  It  was  then  still  in  tlu'  hamls  of  the  l''rench, 
from  which  it  passed  in  I'jbo,  hut  its  ;!;eiural  character  even 
after  the  cession,  was  not  chan^a-d  ICnnlish  torces  however 
takintf  the   placi's  of  the  l'"ri-nch. 

The  settlement  was  of  about  si.\t\'  families,  occu]"»\  inLf  as 
manv  houses,  clustered  about  the  fori  and  mission  house,  and 
all  surrounded  by  a  hit;h  wooden  palisade.  The  houses,  of 
picturesi|ue  shape  and  ap|H'arance.  were  rou<fhly  whitew  ashed 
and  the  villaL,^'  was  not  unpleasinj^-  to  the  eye.  It  was  in  the 
midst  of  lioundless  and  unlimited  forests  stretching-  in  e\erv 
direction,  ll  was  then  In  far  the  lari,U'sl  setllenii'iU  in  the 
northern  lake  rej^ion,  and  the  headquarters  and  center  of  the 
trade  between  the  French  and  the  Indians  of  the  West. 

The  inhabitants  besides  the  few  militia  >^oldiers,  with  tlu'ir 
otlicers  and  the  missionaries,  w  ere  the  descendants  ol  former 
jrarrisons  and  the  fur  traders  with  their  eiinai^es  and  xoya^i'iirs. 
From  Michilimackinac  these  latter  used  every  auliunn  to  o() 
out  with  goods  for  the  Indians  to  exchange  for  lurs,  to  all  parts 
of  the  western  country  where  Indians  wen-  known  to  congre- 
gate. Thev  went  in  balteau.v  or  birch  bark  canoes,  each  boat  or 
canoe  with   a  crew  or  company  of   from  four   to   ten.      Tln-se 


crrws  wnr  uiuKt  lontr.ui  fn)iii  tlir  tr;uKT>  iiiul  ri'nM\  rd  ciu  li 
I'lom  $5<)li>  $150  a  \rar  ami  an  DUttit  of  a  lilaiikrt.  two  suits 
of  loarsr  ilollu'S  and  soinr  small  aiticlrs  nni'ssary  to  llir 
lUiK'sl  loiK'l.  Tlu'N  wiTi'  a  hardy.  acUrntuious  srt  ot  imii. 
who  i-oiild  li\r  on  nu'a,i;rr  laii'.  row  llu'ir  hoals  all  day.  or 
CAW  packs  of  KMi  pounds  on  ihrir  hark-  through  \hv  idUL;h 
trai'kU-s  woods  for  wrrks  (om'thrr  and  thru  spriid  thr  nii;hts 
in  inu>ic  and  daiuini;-.  In  llu'  wintrr  thry  wrir  ::;i.MU'r,illy  al 
llu'ii-  various  wintiT  tradini;-  grounds:  -  hy\  rrncnirnts.  llv.'sr 
rivords  i.all  ihrm.  and  in  thr  spiin^  thry  ranu'  bark  to  .Mark- 
inar.  vrfy  likrlv  to  sjirnd  in  intrniprranri'  and  dissolute  idlr- 
nrss  dutini;-  thn-r  or  foiu"  months  thr  hardly  rarnrd  wa^rs  of 
tlu'  rrsl  of  till'  yrar. 

'rhrou^h  thr  rt'sult  of  thrir  anrrstors"  intrnnarria;4rs  with  thr 
Indians  and  thr  Irsslr^al  rrlalions  whirh  wrrr  slill  mori'rommon. 
alUlassrs.  rvrn  inrludini;-  most  of  thr  ollirrrs,  had  morr  or  Irss 
Indian  blood.  Somr  of  thr  voya^-rurs  wrrr  almost  rnlirrly 
Indian,  olhrrs  Irss  so.  but  almost  thr  rntirr  population  of  rvrry 
class  in  Markinar  in  1 7  1 1.  may  safi'ly  br  supposrd  to  havr 
brrn  in  somr  dri;rrr  ronnrrlrd  by  birth  or   marriai^^r  with  thr 

savajfc's. 

Thrir  morals,  as  thrsr  rrnistrrs  show,  were  none  of  thr 
strirtrst:  and  -  natural""  rhildrrn  -by  sava^r  mothers.""  or. 
-  of  an  unknown  fathrr  ""  form  prrhaps  thr  lar-(rst  proportion 
of  thosr  whosr  baptisms  arr  in  tliis  rrnistrr  rrrordrd.  C'on- 
rubina^r  was  a  rrromni/i'd  institution,  thr  obligations  inrurrrd 
bv  thr  Irmporarv  husband  by  rontrarl  with  thr  pari'tils  of  tlu' 
half  brrt-d  or  Indian  ,i;irl  whom  hr  umlrrtook  to  makr  his 
mistress  for  somr  limilrd  timr  wrrr  rnforrrd  somrlimrs  r\  rii 
bv  thr  local  jurisprudrncr.   and  al    all   times   by   the   force   of 


41 


public  tipiniiin.  I'ml  i'li;istil\  \\,is  iidI  r.iU'il  liii;li.  Il  is  ;i  lia- 
ililiini  thai  at  alvmt  llif  tiim'  this  rr^isUT  imkIs.  a  Imal  ma^is- 
tialf  Ih'Imih-  wliiiin  a  I'^rnirli  \()\a;4rur  was  piox en  loliasi' 
(.•onimiltrti  a  Irloiiious  assault  o\\  an  liuliaii  Ljirl.  ruiulrniiird  llir 
I'filiiw  to  lni\  llir  L;iii  a  iirw  Iroik.  as  lir  had  torn  hcis  in  tlu' 
si'uilli.'.  aiul  to  woik  oni'  week  in  his  (  thr  justifr'si  ^aiilni. 
It  was  niofi'  (lislu'arlriiinL;'.  iindoubtiHlK  ,  and  dilliciih  lor  ihr 
j^ood  prii'sls  to  hd)or  anions;'  thrsi'  |H'c.p!i'.  nominal  L'atlioliis. 
and  in  whom  iiuK'i'd  in  man\  i.'asi's,  inl(.'Hii;iMit  and  instruitrd 
faith  M'l'ms  to  ha\i'  Ihxmi  strong;-,  iiolw  ithstan.iini^-  ihr  ilisso- 
liitLMK'ss  of  llu'ir  morals,  (foi-whiih  in  thrir  hctti'r  moments 
tlK'\-  undouhti'dK'  fi'lt  ri'inorscfid  i  than  it  was  r\iMi  to  |irra(.h 
to  the  iiiuorruplL'd  hut  payan  Indians. 

Bill  tlu'V  laliori'd  hopi'fullv  on.  as  this  rt.'i;istrr  shows,  doini; 
all  llu'v  (.'oiild  and  divitliiii;-  their  lime  and  laliors  r\  idently 
between  the  little  Freneh  and  h,  M'-breed  eolony  of  Maekinae. 
whieh  the\  treated  as  a  mission  p.>  ish.  and  the  Indi.m  \  illai;i'S 
of  t!ie  C)iiawas  and  Ojibways  ( lialf  Christian  aiul  half  jtai^an  i 
near  by. 

Tliis  rei^ister  l)e<4innini;-,  as  I  have  saiil,  in  17.4  r.  and  ending 
in  1S21,  |-tiu"ports  to  be  a  reeoril  of  all  I'eelesiastieal  matters 
between  those  \  ears  in  tlu'  parish  ol  the  mission  at  .Maekinae. 
Hut  it  is  eertainlv  verv  f.ir  from  eomplete.  It  is  not  lontinu- 
oii.-'.  r>.i"  "■•.•.anv  vears  together  at  \  arious  times  there  was  no 
priest  residini;-  \t  Mackinac,  and  althoiii;h  during  these  inti'r- 
v.ils,  there  are  man\  curious  reconls  attested  by  laymen  as 
will  hereafter  be  seen.  \  el  it  is  e\  iclent  from  the  comparative 
number  of  them,  that  il  was  onlv  the  more  careful  and 
thouLfluful  who  took  pains  to  see  diUMni;"  all  these  years  that 
anv  record  was  made  at  all. 


l^ 


15! 


In   1711.  whni  tlir  llrsi  roiitciniidraiiroiis  entries  were  ii,;i(l/. 
l'".illuT    Du   Jaunay    and    l'"atluT    ilr    Lainoriiiic'.    hotli   J. 'suits. 
wvw   f\i(lri)tl\     l(.;.;rlluT    at  the  post        In    uu>yv    tliaii    nnr    m- 
sta.UH'    .mr    scrvrd    ,is    u,Kilat!uT  u  Inlc  llu'  oIIht  a.lnii.iiMrrnl 
llu'   baptisn).      Ill     171,^    '""l    17!  1    >'"■'•'"    P''"''   ^^"'^   takr-i  by 
l'"atiuT    C'oquaiv.,    aiiotlirr     of     llir    later    j.'suit     inivsioiiari.'s. 
|-,ut   from    1711    until    1  7  p).  a    pni.ul  nrarly  i-onUMnpoiMii.'ous 
with    that    part    of   tlu'   oKl  I'lriuh  antl  Iiulian  wars,  known   as 
■•  Kinj;  (iiM.i-c's  war."  llirrc  was  cvidrntlv  no  j^rirsl  in  Muk- 
inac.      From    1 7  lO   t«>    1".^^    Falhrr    I  )u  Jaunay  w  as  a-ain   in 
i-liar;;i'.      In    J75-    he  was  I'ithiT   rt'iir\ cd  or  visitrd  li\    I'"atluT 
df    Lainorinu-    and    I'atluT    I  ..•Iran.-,  and    Falhrr    Li'tiaiu-and 
Fatiu'r    l>u  Jaunay  scrni    to   h  ivc    ahrrnatcd    in    tlirir   rliarur 
of   llir  mission    from   175J  until  I7''>i. 

I   suspivl    that    they   rclii'x.'d   im' h   o'lii-r  by  alli'inatiiiM-  In- 
twfc-n  the  si'ttk-mrnt  uj^oti   llu'   St.  Joseph  riviT  and  tin-  one  at 
Mackinai-.      Hut    froiu  17C.1   until  i7(>5.  durin^^  whieli    timi-   tin- 
British    took    possession   of    Mackinai-   and    tlir    massaiTi'    and 
captmr  of  the    fort  in   Fonliat's  i-.)nsi>irai-y  took  plaee.  Father 
Du  launav  was  at  the  post.      I  shall  alludi'  heri'after  to  the  paiM 
whiVh    he    played   during   that    timt'.      Imoui    1765   until    170s 
there    was  evidently  no  |M-ies1  at  the  mission.      In   r70S  I^uh.  r  . 
(Jihault.  styling  himself  hrst  ••(Jrand  N'iear  of  Loui-iana"  and 
at;ain  '•  \'iear  (Jeiieral  of   Illinois."  ami  who.  as  we  know  from 
other   sources,   held    that    titU'    fron\    the    liishop   of    (iaetn^e. 
visited  the  post  upon  his  way  south  to  arrange,  if   possible,  the 
question  of  jmasdietion  coneerninn-    the    lower    Illinois    mission 
with  the  Capuehins  of  New  Orleans.      In  177.=^  Father  (Jibaull 
inatle  an. )ther  brief  visit.      From   that   time   on   utitil  17S6.  the 
period  of  the    Revolutionary  War.  there'  was  anain  no  dvv^y- 


43 


iiKiii  ulio  I'M'ii  iii.ulc  a  \  iMt  to  llir  silllriniiil.  In  I7;'i,iiul 
1777.  l'"at!irf  l'a\il  was  lluTi'  lor  iwn  niunliis  in  tlu'  suinnirr 
1)1  r,n  li  Ni'ar.  AltiT  lli  .1  loi  sf\cii  \cars,  no  prii^l  visits  tlu' 
rliiuili.  'I'lirii  lor  Iwii  or  tin  rr  nioiitlis  a  l)oniinir,m  iiainnl 
I.idiii,  sl\  Hm^l;  hiiiisi'll  •■  a:i  apo>tolii'  inissioiiars  iirir>l.""  |iit- 
loiins  niarrian'cs  ami  I'rU'hr.itrs  ba;i;isins  lir  a  priioil  o|  two  or 
ilnri'  niontlis.  In  171/)  I'"alluT  l.c\,uloii\  makes  a  \  i.^it  to  the 
mission.  sl\  \:\\<j^  liiMi>rll  ••  \'ii  ar  i^ciirral  ol  .Mon>irm'  llic  lli,--liop 
ol  riallimoiT."  {  \i  to  lliis  time,  tln'ou^h  the  L;ir,it  drlax  pur- 
posi'K  made  In  tlif  IJritisli  in  i  .nryinL;  out  llie  trratu's  ol  17^^ 
.md  I7v(.  iIh'  po>t  at  Miihiliina.kina^-  had  no'^  bi-iMi  taken 
posse.-^sion  of  In  the  Anuri.ans.  In  OiIoIkt.  i7w'>.  twomni- 
paiiifs  ol  tlu-  Inilid  Siatt's  afiny  I  of  the  ist  infantin  )  airixed 
and  look  ]iossession,  an  1  in  1799.  thi'  man  w  ho,  allhwui;!)  a 
l'"i\'neinn,in  In  liiftli.  ma\  Irom  his  i.ai"eer,  he  railed  llu'  llist 
distinetix  il\  Ameriean  priest,  l'\itlu'r  (iabriv'l  Kiehard.  in  the 
fiunseof  an  extended  tour  of  tlu'  north-w  e,>lt'rn  missions,  ar- 
rived al  .Mai.kinai.',  whi're  he  made  a  slay  ol  about  three 
montlis.  In  iSoj  he  seiil  from  Detroit  his  assistant.  l''ather 
i)!l!u't.  in  iSji  antl  as  the  subsevpie.il  ri'ijisler  shows,  an.nn 
in  iS.;_^,  I  the  last  lime  just  after  his  election  as  ilelei^ate  to  the 
.\mei'k  an  L'on^re.ss  fr.mi  ihe  Terrilorvol  Miihi^an  1  I''atluT 
Riehard  was  at   .Maikinac. 

When,  upon  ai.,n\'ful  t'xamin.ition  ol  tlu'  reL;ister.  il  lu'eaine 
appareiil  to  me  how  simuU  it  realK'  was.  and  lor  how  m  uiy 
\  lai  .oL;elher.  duriui;'  the  niosl  inU'reslinij  periods,  liu'ie  w  I'ri' 
no  enlriis  al  all  lo  be  founil.  and  when  1  realized  furtlu'r  that 
il  was  principalU  .  afti'r  all,  iust  what  it  pmp  oiled  lo  be-,  a  mere 
rei'ord  of  bapli.ms.  marriages  and  dealhs.  lacking'  in, my  ol  the 
oilier  and  more    aUcreslinL;    fealures,  w  hicli,  .is  I  remember   il, 


44 

;iir  iharaiti'iislu  iA  \hr  rr-isUT  at  K;i>kaskia  1  \\a>  soiih'- 
uliat  ilisappoirUcl.  and  I  traivil  il  u-.uKl  In'  diiruull  tu  uuikv 
111,'  matt.r  which  apprarc.l  in  it  as  iiiliTi'sliiin;  i'\  ni  l(.\nu  as  it 
was  t(.  I1U-.  Init  I  liavi'stiuhniit.atUT  all.  with  roiisiiUiahU'  lart'. 
ami  lluic  all'  sninr  i.hsrrv  ations  1-.  hv  maiK'  iipnii  the  n'^istcr 
or  iri.M-.l  itsrlf  which  ina\  ihn.w  somr  liniit  upi)H  iim-sliuiis 
of   iiitrrrsl.  or  al  Irast  MiU'i^i'St  mu  h  ipii'stii.ns  tor  inorr   caffful 

iii\  I'sli^atioii. 

I  have  alluilfd  t"  thr  i-oiiditions  of  liiciitiousiu'<s  and  diss.i- 
luti'Mi'ss.  and  the  appari'iitlx  unliniitrd  indiilm'iuc  in  i(Muu- 
hina-f  whiih  thr  rrrord  of  baptisms  nf  ilK'-itiniatr  ihildrrn 
shows:  hut  it  did  not  it^iuirr  this  rerord.  of  voiirsr.  to  intorni 
an\-  ..I    us  of  tlu'  loose  inor  "f   llu'  n^nrrrir,  </-•  A"/>  and  thr 

InishlopiTs   of   litis    fronti.  linn-post,    and    thr   iiisuHkii'nl 

intluciii-.'  of  lluir  nominal  nliijioiis  t'onviiiions  upon  ihi'in. 
I  am  afraid  tlu'\  would  havr  hci'ii  iiointnl  out  In  thi'  I'uritans 
of  N\'W  I'ainland  as  frinhHul  I'xami^lrs  of  thr  i  ffnt  of  Calholii' 
ti-ai-hinn-.  lUil  of  coinsr  nothing  rould  ha\  i-  bri'ii  mori'  unjust. 
Tlu'ir  xiiH'S  spran;;-  tr"Ui  I'lf  pn  uliar  liivumstamt's  ol  tlu'ir 
location  and  tlu'ir  life,  and  ffoni  the  natural  tempefament  of 
one  who  has  a  union  of  iMeneh  and  Indian  Mood.  Their 
eharaeter  and  morals  uiuloi'btedly  made  the  work  of  the  mis- 
sionarv  hard,  hut  il  did  not  detract  from  its  di-votion. 

By  comparino- the  dates  of  entries  of  marriages  and  baptisms 
it  is fasy  to  see  how  often  when  the  father  or  mother  of  ilK- 
.ritimate  children  brought  them  for  baptism,  or  when  the  ,i;ooil 
priest  ha<l  successfully  sought  them  out  for  that  purpose,  he 
also  succeedi'd  in  iiulm-in.<,'  the  father  and  mother  to  lake  upon 
themselves  the  bonds  of  a  sacramental  marria.ije.  Some  in- 
stances of   this  occurred,    I    believe.    durin.,r  each  year,    when 


45 


pi'ii'sls  well'  pii'Miit  :it  all,  .il  llir  mi>-^inii.  I  niiHinhi'f  mu' 
liH  t  wliirli  iiiUicstcd  iiir  lu'i  .msr  I  kiiuw  m  pmclliiii;^  ul  a  siait- 
liii^  iiuidctit  ill  llii'  lilt'  1)1  llic  lallit-r  nl  llir  tliilihcii  and  llir 
sulvscijiu'iit  luidiniiioin.  ()iic  Luiiis  1  laiiiliiii'.  who  was  a 
sulditT.  wliii  liilioui'd  C'liaiirs  I  )i-  l„aii;nlacK'  lliniu^li  in.mv 
i'ainpai:;ii.s  (  ul  L'liarli's  I  )r  l^in^ladr  I  iiiiMii  to  sa\  Miiiii'tliiiii^ 
liciralli'i' ).  was  in  i  777  inarrird  l)\  l^'allirr  l'a\fl  to  Jusi'tlr  La 
SaMr.  a  sa\ai;r  w  oiiian.  soiiic  i  liildifii  ot  tluiis  lia\  iiii;  just 
briorc  that  tiiiic  lu'i'ii  bapli/i'd.  Sonic  \  cats  Ixlorr  without 
In'iii^  nianifd  hr  had  brought  ollirr  and  oldrr  iliililnn  b\  ihf 
saiiu'  wdinan  to  br  bapti/i'd.  I  am  iiu  liiird  to  think  that  llu' 
fxhortatioiis  ol  tlu'  ;^iiod  latlur  in  1777  wnc  sup|>liniinlrd  b\' 
an  aw  ikfiiiiiLJ  ol  i-onsiiiiuc  toi-  wliiih  tliiTf  was  itrtainlv 
<)p|i()rtunit\-  as  this  sainc  Louis  1  iainliiif  had  in  thai  yrar 
while  si'ttiiiL;  trout  liiu's  through  the  iic.  bciii  lanii'd  oil  b\  a 
.sudiK'ii  wind,  wliiih  ditailu-d  tlu'  ii.  i'  in  a  i^iral  lloc  troin  llic 
land,  as  lii'i|ui'iill\  happens  in  the  straits  ol  Maekinae.  I'"or 
niiK'  da\s  with  ^real  fortitude  and  iiiduianee  he  had  li\eil 
without  looil  until  a  faMnable  wind  arising,  the  iie  was  a^aiii 
blown  to  the  shore. 

01  course  in  spi-akin^f  of  tlu'si'  reeords  as  ihrowini;"  lii;ht 
upon  tlu'  dissolute  cbaraiter  of  the  setllenient.  I  am  not  ri'lei"- 
I'iiiLj  to  an\  of  the  aels  whieh  were  bappih' nunuTous,  where  in 
the  abseiut'  of  tlu'  priest.  inarriaL^es  peileetK  \alid  both  uiuler 
the  eivil  and  eeelesiasiieal  law  wei^e  eoiitraeti'd  in  the  abst'iuH' 
of  the  iiiiest.  tlu'  |-elii:,nous  leremoin  alone  beini;' sujiplied  wlu'ii 
the  priest  eame  to  the  settlement,  hi  these  unions  tlu're  was  of 
course  nothing;'  iiumoral  or  ei-nsuralile,  and  I  think  it  is  hardly 
realized  to-day  how  carefully  the  Catholie  ehureh  teaehes  that 
tile  sacrament   of  marriage  absolutely  requires  neither  priest 


46 


nor  witiu'ss.      The  I'ssemc  of    ihr  siR-ranu'iU  is   in  the  consent 
of  partirs.      So  tr;uli    all   the  throlooians.      iJul  how  lUTfe'Clly 
this   was   iiiuU  i-slood   h;    llu'   iiistrurli'tl  (.atholics  al  Mackiiiai.-, 
tiuTr  an-  soiiir   curious  uiilrii's  to  attest.     Ouc  partirular  easr 
fn.ni  which  I  will  luTraflrr  quote,  that  of  e'hark's  ( Jauthicr  cU- 
\iiTvillr.  could  have  hardly  been  ht'tter  expressed  had  it  been 
drawn  bv  a  doctor  of  the  vSorb  )nne.      Inhere  is  another  matter 
to  which  1  think    the    rei,nster  bears  interesting-  testimony.      It 
has    been   a   loo  common    opinion,    sprin<rinj;   from    prejudice 
against   the  Church,  that    the  Catholic    missionaries"    apparent 
success  amoni;-   the    Indians  arose  from  their  taking-  them   into 
the  church  without  sulliciently  inslructin-;  them.      I  think  Tark- 
nian  even  allows   himself  somewhere  to  speak  of  the  Catholic 
missionary  conlentino-   himself   with    sprinklin<;-  a  few  drops  of 
water  upon  the  forehead  of  his  .sav.i-e  proselyte,  while  the  Pro- 
testants tried  to  win  him  from  his  barbarism  and  prepare  his  sav- 
ajrc  heart  for  the  truths  of  Christianity.     There  is  absolutely  no 
truth  in  this,  and  no  evidence  has  ever  been  cited  for  it.     And  this 
reuisler.  like   all    the   missionary  re<,dsters.  is  allirmalive  proof 
of  its  falsity.      'Phere   is   hardly  a  case    in    which   an    Indian  of 
adult  aye,  or  even   above  the  a^e  of  reason  is  certitied  to  have 
been  baptized  in  this  record,  where  sju-cial  allusion  is  not  made 
to  his  or  her  previous  instruction.     ••  Sulliciently  instructed  and 
ardent''-  desiriu<r    baptism  ""  is  the   cerliticate  of  these  men  w  ho 
were  not  either  in  formal  or  in  informal  utterances,  liars.      I'^en 
in   times   of  emergency   and    dan<;er  there   is   shown   a    <,n-eat 
anxietv  upon  the  part  of   the  priests  that  improper  and  merely 
formal  baptisms  should  not  be  made. 

Thus  the  re^dster  shows   that  in  October.  I75V,  there  was 
an  outbreak  of  small-pox.  to  which  the  Indian  settlements  were 


47 

;il\v.i\s  t'xtrriiu'h  liablr.  and  llial  I'^itluT  Lrlraiu'  was  vrry 
aclixT  ill  bapli/.inn  tlu'  iiilaiits  ami  small  (.hiKlicii.  and  iluisi' 
persons  who  wrrr  dani;'i'rously  ilhlnil  rvcn  inuKr  llirsi,>  lii"- 
cunistancfs  lir  almost  a|iolo^'i/.(.'s  for  llir  wanl  ol  prr|iai'ation  ot 
Ills  (.atvcluimLMis.  Thus,  in  spi'akini;  of  two  Indians  who  wrrr 
dan!4i'ronsl\-  ill.  and  who  aftfrwards  dird.  he  sa\s  ••  thry  dv- 
maiuU'd  baptism  with  ;L;rt.'al  oaniL'stnL'ss.  and  promised  to  be  in- 
striKted  and  to  li\c  as  Ciirislians.'"  In  this  oiitbnak  ol  the 
small-jiox  there  are  ei'rtilieali's  liy  l''ather  Leirane  of  the  bap- 
tism of  at  least  tliirt\-  ehildri'ii.  many  of  them  inlants.  whom  he 
sa\s  lie  found  "abandoned  and  dan^'erously  siek  with  die 
small-pox."  Il  is  i'\ident  that  tln're  was  a  yreat  panie  amoni;' 
the  natives  at  the  visitation  of  this  ti'rrilili'  scourge,  anil  that 
leather  Lefrane.  like  al'  the  Jesuit  missionaries  m  a  like  ease, 
went  from  eabin  to  cabin  in  tiie  Indian  \illa<;i'.  seeking;  out  the 
sick  and  d\  in^.  Although  il  does  not  (.'xaetly  a]ipear  (  at  least 
not  to  me.  who  cannot  tell  the  difference  hetwi'en  Ojibway  .md 
Ottawa  names).  I  think  it  is  probable  that  tb.is  pestik'nce  oc- 
cm-red  in  the  Indian  xilla^e  nearest  the  tort  that  of  tie  Ojib- 
wa\s.  upon  the  Island  ot  ^Iackinac. 

As  I  ha\ .  -nnu'ested  fiefore,  tlu'  thoroughness  of  the  in- 
struction is  I'videiiced  by  the  character  of  many  of  the  lay  en- 
tries which  weri'  made  dmini;'  the  loni;'  alisence  ol  the  priests 
froiu  the  cluu'ch.  Here  is  a  liter;d  translation  ot  the  one  most 
elaborate.  It  is  of  the  marriage  of  a  \ui\u  of  whom  I  shall 
have  somelhiuL;'  more  to  say  henatti'r. 

••In  the  \ear  1779.  the  lirst  of  Januarv.  before  noo;  .  we.  the 
undersiirncd.  on  the  part  of  Sieiu-  Charles  (jaulier  de  \'ii'r- 
xillc.  Lieutenant-Captain  and  inter|-)reter  of  the  Kinj;-.  son  of 
Claude   (Jermaine   de    \'ierville   and    of    Therese    \'illeneuvc, 


1 


4« 

liis  fatluT  and  niotluT.  ck-Cfased,  and  of  Ma<^(k'U'itu'  Clu  valiiT. 
daui;liUT  (if  llu'  latf  Tasfal  Oievalirr  and  of   Madeline  Dairh 
l^vLHiiU',  luT  niollu-r:  in  order  lo  c-onlinn   the  allianei'  whieli  a 
virtuous  love  nuitually  leads  llu'in   to  eoiitraet  lot;i'tlier.  and  to 
erown    tin-  lires    that    nuitual   tencit'rness   has   lii,dued   in  their 
lu'arts.  before   our    Mother,  the    Holy  L'hureii.  of  which   they 
are  nu'ndiers.  and  in  the  bosom  of  whieh  they  wish  lo  live  and 
die.   have  <;-one  to  the    housi'   of  Sieur  Louis  Chevalier,  unele 
of  the  future  bride,  to   reiuove  every  obstacle  to  their  desires, 
and  to  assure  them,  so  far  as  in  us  lies,  of  days  full  of  sweel- 
ni'ss  and  of  repose.      There,  in  the  presence  of  tlu'  future  hus- 
band and  wife,  of  tlu'ir  rt'lations  and  of  their  friends,  we  have 
placi-d  upon  tluMU  the  followin;;-  conditions,  namely :     The  said 
future    husband,    in    the    dispositions    reipiired    by    the     Holy 
Roman  Church,  and  acconlini;-  to  the  order  wiiich  siie  has  im- 
posed upon    her  children,  jiromises   to   lake    for  his  wife  and 
le<4itimale   spouse    Mau'deline   Chevalier,  who,  upon   her  part, 
receives  him    for   her   husband   and  le<;itimate  consort,  having; 
Ihe  full   and   entire   consent  of  all  their  relatixes.      in  virtue  of 
this,  the  husband  (lakin-;-   the   wife  with   all  her  rights  for  the 
future  in  that   part   of  her   heritage   which   is   due  to  her,  and 
which  must   In-  deli\  ered   to   her  at   the  ijrst  requisition,  to  be 
held   in   conunon),  in    order    to   increase   tlie   property  of  his 
bride,  and  to  show  by  it  the  e\u  'ine  tenderness  which  he  lias 
for  her,  settles  upon  her  the  suiu  of  a  thousand  crowns,  taken 
from  the  goods  whicli  they  shall  acquire  together-  in  order  to 
provide   for    the    necessities  which   the   accidents   of  life   may 
perhaps  cause  to  arise.     The  future  spouses,  to  assure  for  the 
alliance   which   they   are   contracting     -peace,   repose   and   the 
sweets  of  well-being   to   the   last  moment   of  their  lives— will 


49 


[^h(  valiiT. 
iiK'  1  )ar(.h 
r  whic'li  a 
or.  ami  to 
d  in  llu'ir 
liifh  llu'V 
:<)  Vwc  and 
lifi".  unck' 
■ir  (U'siri's. 

of    SWl't'l- 

ulure  hus- 

>,  \\  c  liavi.' 

The  said 

IJK'  Holy 
lie  has  ini- 
<  wife  and 
1  Ikt  part, 
)rt,  having 
n  virtue  of 
hts  for  llie 
to  her,  and 
ition,  to  he 
erty  of  his 
lieh  he  has 
wns,  taken 
in  order  to 
)f  life  may 
ure  for  the 
se  and  the 

lives — will 


and  eonsent,  in  ordi'r  that  they  may  t.iste  witliout  irouhle  tin- 
felicity  that  tiu'y  look  for,  that  their  propert\  should  be  pns- 
si'ssed  by  a  full  and  entire  title  by  the  survivor  after  the  diMth 
ot  one  or  tlie  other,  to  he  oivi'ii  alter  the  (U'atii  of  sueli  sur- 
\i\()r  to  their  ehildren.  if  llea\  en.  fa\  orahle  to  tlu'ir  tU'siri's. 
aeeords  tiiem  these  worthy  fruits  of  their  mutual  lo\f:  hut  if 
the  >urviv()r  wishes  to  eontraet  a  new  alliance,  iti  that  easi'  the 
contraetinif  party  must  aeioimt  to  inheriting-  ehildri-n.  and  di- 
vide with  them.  If  lleaxi'u,  deaf  to  their  \-oiie.  shall  refuse 
them  a  lej^ntimate  heir,  the  last  survixor  ma\-  disposi'  of  all  the 
^foods  atrordini^-  to  his  or  her  will  and  jileasme.  witliout  lu'iiii^r 
molested  by  the  relati\t's  I'ither  of  one  or  of  the  other.  This, 
they  (k't-lare  is  their  will  while  waitini,^  to  appro\i'  and  ralif\- 
it  before  a  notary,  and  Po  supplement  the  ceremonies  of  mar- 
riai^e  by  a  jiriest,  when   they  shall  have  the  power  to  do  it."' 

The  provisions  here  concerning-  propertv  disposition  are  ac- 
cordin,<r  to  the  «uusti)m  of  Paris,"  so-called,  which  n<,veriu'd 
in  m.itters  of  municipal  law   these  Canadian  colonies. 

There  are  many  other  marriai^e  records,  not  so  elaborate, 
but  not  less  sullicient  to  prove  the  validity  of  the  act,  despite 
the  absence  of  the  priest. 

Of  course,  it  was  one  of  the  lirst  matters  impri'ssed  bv 
the  priest,  both  upon  those  who  were  of  Christian  desci'ut  and 
upon  convi-rts.  that  lay  baptism  w  as  not  only  permissible  but  de- 
sirable in  cases  of  emerifi'ncy  or  danger,  and  it  is  not  surpris- 
iui;,  therefore,  to  tind  that  situated  as  these  pi'ople  were,  the 
lartrer  jiroportion  of  the  baptisms  of  children,  when  the\came 
to  be  performed  by  the  priests,  w  ere  conditional  baptisms.  That 
is.  the  priest  suiiplied  the  rcrr/i/ou/cs  of  baj-itism  and  baptized 
them  on  condition  -that  they  had  not  all  eady  been  baptized." 


so 

as  in    a    vi-rv  ^n-cat  nuniluT  of   casfs  iWy   undoubtodlv  hral 
Imhm,  In    tlK'ir    parents  or  friends.      No  very  sullieienl  rej,nsler 
,.1  tin-  numerous  lay  baptisms  made  uhen  there  was  no  priest 
at  the  missi.M.  was  kept,  but  ..f  eou.se  there  are  some  reeorded. 
A  irood  manv  of  them  were  eitlier  made  by  tlie  eommandant  at 
the'  post,  bv  a   justiee  ..f  the  peaee,  or  by   a  notary  publie,  and 
cortilied  t.."  under  his  title,  by  the  person  administering^  the  rite. 
I  liaveno  idea  that  this  was  from  any  feeli-  -  upon  the  part   of 
the  parishioners,  simple  minded  thou.uh   they  were,  that   these 
ntiieial  <ivulU-un-u  were  a.iy  better   qualitied   to  admi.iister  the 
saeramenl    than   otiiers.  but    beeause  they   reasoned    that  if  a 
rc'eord   was   to   be    made   at  all   it   had  best  be  made  under  the 
name  and  si-nature  of  those  best  able  b.uhtomake  it  and  to  se- 
oire   its   preservation.      Some  of  them    read  a   little   euriously. 
'Phere  are  a  few  in  !•  n-lish  whieh  form  the  only  exeeption  to  the 
almost  universal  French  in  the  record. 

I'pon  pa-e  7.?  appears  this  in  French:  -  O.i  the  ;,oth  day 
of  August.  17S1.  was  baptized  Domitille.  the  leuitimate  dau-b- 
Wv  of  Sifur  L'harles  (Jautier  and  Madeline  Pascal  his  le^dti- 
mate  wife,  born  the  same  day    at  noon.     John  Coafs,  Notary 

rublic." 

This  is  the  child  of  the  pair  whose  nuptials  we  noted  above. 

q-hen  occurs  this  in  ICn-lish :  "  I  certify  you  that  accordin^r 
to  the  due  and  ,,rescribed  order  of  the  church  at  noon  on  this 
dav.  and  at  the  above  place,  before  divers  witnesses,  1  bapti/.ed 
this  child  Charlotte  Cleves.  Patrick  Sinclair,  Lieutenant 
(n.vernor  and  Justice  of  the  Peace.  Witnesses:  (Signed) 
William  (;rant.John  McNamara,  Cieorge  Macbeth,  D.  McKay, 

Cieorge  Meldrum." 

I  think,  however,  of  the  things  shown  by  the   record  itself 


5' 


fdlv  li.ul 

no  prii'st 
ri'corcU'il. 
laiuhuU  at 
ihlic,  and 
t  the  ritf. 
le  part  of 
liat   thi'SL- 
nistcr  the 
that  if  a 
undiT  tlu- 
:  and  to  se- 
curiously. 
ition  to  the 

■   _^oth  day 

[ite  dau<;"h- 

his  lej^iti- 

•s,  Notary 

)ted  above, 
according 
)on  on  this 
,  I  baptized 
Lieutenant 
(Signed) 
[).  McKay, 

ecord  itseU 


that  wliicli  iiUere.sU'd  me  most  Is  the  liniit  wliicli  it  tliiow.s  npon 
thi'  cjueslion  of  slavery.  l)otli  of  huhans  aiu  oi  nei;i(ies.  in 
tlu'se  nortii-western  jiosts.  durini;  liie  last  eenluiv  aiui  the 
bej^innini;'  of  tiie  present. 

I  have  not  had  the  time  to  carry  on  such  an  investigation  as 
I  would  like  to  make  conci'rnini,^  its  incidents  and  its  charactir, 
but  one  tliint;-  is  certain,  it  must  ha\i'  been  a  lirml\-  estabiishrd 
and  cherished  institution  des|iiti'  the  boast  to  tlu'  contrarv  iii.it 
has  sometimes  lu-en  made.  Tiu'  ni'i^i-o  slaves  bi'lon^in^-  to 
\arious  pers,)ns  in  the  connuunity  are  frequentl\-  spokiMi  of  in 
the  register.  Sometimes  it  is  a  child  of  two  iie;4ro  slaxi's  who 
is  baptized,  sometimes  it  is  two  ne^ro  sla\-es  who  an'  married. 
'I'hus,  in  1744.  Father  Coquarz  certifies  lo  ••  baptiziiii;  the 
<lauifiUer  of  Honcoeur.  a  ne^ro.  and  of  Mar^art't,  a  iu'L,n-ess, 
belongin<f  to  a  trader  named  Boutin,  obliged  to  winter  at 
Mackinac  on  his  wav  to  tlu-  Illinois." 

Frequently  the  word  ••esclaxe"  is  usi'd  where  it  is  inqios- 
.sible  to  determine  wlietlu-r  the  sla\e  spoki-n  of  is  ri'd  or  black. 
I  was  much  puzzled  for  a  loiin-  time  by  the  use  of  die  words 
"  I'anis '■  and  "  I'anise."  evidently  intended  from  their  connec- 
tion to  signify  a  male  or  a  female  .servaiU  of  some  kind,  and  as 
they  wer'-  s|ioken  of  as  ''■  /)r/()//i;7i/i^-"  to  various  people,  I 
inferred  that  they  si^niilied  slaves.  What  sort  of  slaves  I  eould 
not  ascertain,  for  in  no  French  dictionarv,  t'ilher  of  anciein  or 
modern  French,  could  I  lind  any  such  word.  The  words  did 
not  seeiu  to  be  used  at  all  as  the  name  of  a  tribe,  or  as  a  projier 
name,  but  rather  as  thouj^h  the\-  sit^iiitied  servants  lu'ld  as 
slaves  under  some  different  sort  of  tenure  from  that  denoted 
by  the  word  •' e.sclave,"  and  this  I  thouiL,dit  at  first  nuist  be  so. 
]  discovered  finally  their  reaIsi<,niitication.   The\-  are  corrupli-d  or 


52 

all(.'riiati\  i-  forms  of  ••  I'awncc,"  ami  aro  cn  idi'iilly  usi'd  lo  sii^niify 
••  Indian  '"  slaves  as  distinj^niislu'd  from   "  nf,<,n-o  "*  sla,vi's. 

A  note  wliidi  I  have  found  in  tlu'  Wisconsin  Historical  Col- 
Ualions.  pu;-,-.orlini;-  to  be  taken  from  the  memoir  of  one  Hou- 
jrainville,  puhlisluil  in  Franee.  eoneernini;-  the  state  of  Canada, 
says,  that  -the  I'anis"  (evidently  Pawnee)  -tribe  in  America 
is  in  the  same  position  as  that  of  llu'  negroes  in  Europe." 
'•  Tlie  I'anis  '  -ibe."  the  author  says,  "  is  a  sava_i,a'  nation  situated 
on  the  Missouri,  estimated  at  about  twelve  thousand  men.  Otiier 
nadoi's  make  war  upon  them  and  sell  us  their  slaves.  It  is 
the  onlv  s:'.va^fe  nation  that  can  be  thus  treated." 

Most  of  llje  Indian  slaves  who  are  menli  )ned  in  the  rejjister. 
x»ere,  at  the  time  of  such  mention,  which  is  generally  that  of 
their  baptism,  quite  youn,<r  children.  1  think  that  tliey  were 
in  most  cases  given  or  sold  to  the  French  or  half-breed  traders 
and  vovageurs.  by  the  Ottawas  who  had  captured  or  bought 
them.  Whether  they  were  all  Pawnees  or  not,  T  think  very 
doubtful,  lam  inclined  to  think  that  as  tiie  word  '-slave" 
became  generic  because  so  many  '•  Slavs  "  were  sold,  the 
word  "  I'anis"  among  the  Ottawas  and  Ojibways  was  applied 
indiscriminately  to  any  slave  of  any  tribe  because  the  majority 
of  such  slaves  were  Pawnees.  lIowever,_  this  is  all  conject- 
ure on  my  part. 

There  are  two  interesting  entries  in  the  register  concerning 

slaves  belonging  to  the  church. 

On  page  29  of  the  baptismal  register  appears  this  certilicate: 
'■To-day,  upon  the  i6th  of  April,  the  Feast  of  the  Annuncia- 
tion of  the  lilessed  Virgin,  in  the  year  1750,  I  have  solemnly 
baptized  in  the  Church  of  this  Mission,  Jean  Francois  Regis, 
a  young  slave  of  about  seven  years,  given  through  gratitude  to 


)  sitfiiify 
s. 

i-al  Col- 
lie Bou- 
Canada, 
Anu'rica 
^uroiH'."' 
situaU'd 
1.  OtluT 
s.      It    is 

rt'fjister. 
^-  thai  of 
(.■V  were 
.1  traders 
•  b()Vi<;"ht 
ink  very 
'•  slave  " 
sold,  the 
s  applied 
majority 
conject- 

)ncerning 

ertilicate: 
^iinuncia- 
solemnly 
is  Rej^is, 
atitude  to 


53 

this  tiiissioii  last  siiiiiimr  by  M.  I.e  C'lie\  .iliei'.  upon  !iis  sife 
return  from  the  eMreine  West,  tlie  said  infant  beini;-  well  in- 
strueled  and  asking-  hajilisni.  I  lis  nodlatlier  was  Siiin 
KtieniK'  CluMiier  and  his  uoilmother  L'iiarlotle  Parent.  Dmie 
at  Miehilimackinae  tl  I- da\  and year  aloresaid.  l\  Dn  launav." 
I'pon  IKino  59  oeeurs  the  foliowinn-:  ••  To-day,  IloK  Satur- 
day, tin-  roth  day  of  April,  in  tlu-  year  \-j<>2,  1  ha\e  soleinnh 
ha|ni/ed  a  yount;  lu-j^n-o  about  20  \ears  of  aye,  helon<'-in<f  hv- 
fori' yesterday  to  this  mission;  sullieii'iitly  instrui-ted  i'\  en  to 
servi'  the  Holy  Mass.  Aflt'i  whieh  he  made  his  lirst  eom- 
iTiunion.  In  baptism  the  nami-  of  Pierre  was  i;-\iMi  to  him. 
Ilis  uodfather  was  Jean  Haptiste  ealled  .\o\er,  \()\ai;eur.  and 
his  godmother  Mdlle.  Martha  (.'hebt)yer.  Done  at  .Miehili- 
mackinae the  day  and  year  aforesaid."  This  was  signed  in 
Father  I)e  Jaunay.  It  was  a  graeious  act  to  yi\e  the  poor 
negro  his  freedom  before  baptism. 

A  monograph  ujion  tlu-  sulije.-t  of  shuH'ry  in  thes^'  trading 
posts  of  Mackinae,  Detroit.  (Jreen  Hay,  Prairie  du  Chien  and 
Ciiieago,  its  origin,  rise,  deeline  and  exlinelion.  artd  its  eliaraeter 
and  incidents,  it  seems  to  me  would  bt,'  extremi'U  interesting. 
One  matter  of  wliich  I  would  like  to  ascertain  the  dati'  is 
that  of  the  extiuciioii  of  Indian  slaxi-ry.  Tlie  allusions  to  the 
Pawnee  slaves  become  more  and  more  infreciuent.  and  linallv 
before  the  close  of  the  book  cease  altogether.  !-'alliei  Rich- 
ard states  of  an  Indian  whom  he  baptized  that  he  was -an 
ser\ice  "  of  Charles  ck'  Langlaile,  but  he  ne\er  uses  the  word 
"  slave." 

Morgan  L.  Martin  in  a  historical  address  at  Madison  some 
years  ago  said  that  he  saw  in  18:7  a  Pawnee  woman  at  (iret-n 
Bay,  who  within  a  few  days  of  that  lin)e  had  been  a  sla\e. 
but  that  she  then  was  free. 


^#1 
■fc 


i 
If 

ii 
h 


54 


0,u- o,!u.r  Ihinu  1  think  of.  uhuh  asa  su-.s.ioM  spnnt^mfT 
f,,,„Unsr.uisU.roaurs,nm.nu,l.U.uorU.aupinaM  ,m- 
U.vs,in.  nKm,u.r.  and   that  is.  a  discussion  -.1    Uu.  ■m..h...ls  am 

,„,,s.  in  uhi.-h  .In-  adnnnis,rati..n  .,f  jus.i..  u  as  ontuuu.d 
,,„,„  tin.  iMvn.h  dondnion  throned,  th.  !•  n.^lish  ocvapat,  .n  .nto 
the  linn,  whrn  th.  Initrd  States  took  possession  ol  tin-  omn- 
„.,.  ,  ao  not  tiunk  that  this  v.^sWv  throws  anv  pa.tu-ular 
,,;,,,,,,,,,  U.  aUhou^h  then,  is  one.  Adhanu.,- St.  Nlartin    .iH.s. 

.ntnes   app^n-   as   a    justice  of   the    peace,   dunn,  all  t...    of 

tlK-se  peri<uls.      lie    suhserihed  hin.self  as  one  oi  the  ■•JustKes 
,,,  J,,,,,,    .,,,is  Majesty  "in  March.  .79"-  tin.    Ann™ 
,,...,.    nol    havin,    then    arrived    at  the    post,  although    .     had 
,,,,;  ,.„,...  Mnv.  distinctly  a.ureed  that  the  Tnited  Stales  should 
,,ve   jurisdiction   over    Mackinac.       After   that    fo-  a  tune   he 
,.ns  himself   justice  ..f   the    IVace  of   t'ws  district,     and  then 
still  later,  in    ,  707.    he   says  he  is  a    ^-Justice  ot   the    1  eace   of 
Uu.rnited   States.-'      U    n,av  very    uell  be  that  he  recened   a 
,,,„,,,,  .,f  his  commission,  hut   the  recrds  and   the  tracht.ons 
.,f  (;,,,„  Hav  are  very  clear  to  the  fact  thai  there  some  at  least 

.,f  the  olliccTS   commissioned   by    Hu-  Kn^lish  CJovernme.U  dul 
,,,t  ,,ase   to  exercise   their   functi..ns.   nor  did  the   mhab.tanls 
eare  U.  queslio.,  iheir   jurisdiction   although    they   rc.^nvd  no 
accession  of  aulhorilv.      It  may  have  been  so  also  at  M^^^»<"^^^^- 
So   far   as   ihe   mere   conlenls  of  the   re^istcT  ^m.  1  w,ll  call 
vour  allenli.>n  to  but  on.  other   uKUler,   and  thai  is   to  Uvo  or 
Ihree  allusions  which  are  contained  in  it  to  Chicago,     it  was  not 
till  after  the  close  of   the  entries  in  tins  register  that  L  h.ca^o 
U.came  anv  thin,- to  the  people  of  Michilimackinac,  but  an  out- 
post kn..wn  as  the  Chicaj,n>  portage,  but  now  that  tins   ^v.ai 
citv  is  here,  it  naturallv  becomes  interesting  to  tind  the   reler- 


1  ;iii    iii- 
rds  ami 

)ltilUK'll 

li  m  into 
H'  (.(Uin- 
artiiular 
1,  w  lio'^c 
tliri'i'    lit 
•  Jusliii's 
uiuTiiaii 
li    it  liail 
L's  should 
tinu'   lu' 
and  tlu'ii. 
I'l'aeH-   of 
•(.■t.'i\  I'll  a 
tratlitioiis 
u-  al  Irast 
iiiu'Ul  did 
iliabilanls 
i-fivi'd  iH) 
Mackinac. 
1  will  call 
to  i\vo  or 
It  was  not 
it  L'hicatfo 
mi  an  out- 
this   i^n-cal 
the  rcfcr- 


ftKi's  toil  in  siuh  a  record  as  this.  'I'hc  lirsl  th.it  I  noticed  is 
in  llu'  ahrid^nnent  iroin  the  pn'cedini;  fecord.  with  which  this 
re;^ister  opens. 

l''or  u|>on  the  |{;th  o!  .\pril.  17,^5.  it  apju'ars  that  there  was 
hapli/.ed  Louis,  sl,i\e  ot  .Monsieur  de  (.'hinnaucouit.  a^ed 
twetn\-  \eai"s.  IK'neath  theeiitrx,  in  hitteiiuss  of  hrart.  the 
priest  has  written  al  anotluM"  tinu'.  ••  /u'Cdiiihuii-.  f<ii-><iili-iiirii/ 
(ipii^Uit  li  stni:(ii;/<(  <i  (  hikii^n."  w  hiih  ina\  he  tianslali'd  ••  a 
humbug,  at  pri'stiit  an  ajxistale,  and  n-lapsid  into  sa\ai,fer\ 
at  Chicago."  Thus  it  will  he  st-rn  th.il  at  a  \ir\  I'arK  time 
Chicago  was  ;L,uttin;4  a  had  name  at  other  places  as  the  resort 
of   the  criminal  i  lassi's. 

In  June.  I  S.|().  leather  (K'  |auna\  lertities  that  lu'  '  pti/.ed 
'•  Louis,  the  lei;itiinati'  son  ol  Amiot  and  ol  Marianne  his  wift.' 
of  this  post:  the  said  infant  iKuinij  been  born  at  the  ri\  er 
Au.\  plains,  near  to  C"hikai;o,  earK'  in  Oct  iher  last.  'I'lu' 
j,f()dfalher  was  Mr.  J^ouis  de  Lecorn.  laplain  comsnandin;;  for 
the  kin<r  in  this  post.  'I'he  <^fodniother  was  Madame  Marie 
Catherine  de  LaplanI'. .  wifi-  ot    .Monsii-ur  IJourassa."" 

This  was  a  white  child:  for  Amiot  appears  to  have  been  a 
FrtTich  trader.  Doi's  it  not  si'ttle  the  ipu'stion  as  to  tlu'  --hrst 
white  nati\e  of   Chicai;<i""  ." 

So  far  i  have  conlined  mvst'lf  to  the  records  tliemsi'K  i-s. 
that  is.  to  what  the\'  liy  and  in  themselves  may  be  consiileretl 
to  show  or  su^'^est.  Pardon  me  if  hir  a  few  monu'iits  I  now 
consider  them  w  itli  reference  to  the  interi'sl  whicii  thev  ha\e 
fo  •  u  wlu'ii  viewed  in  the  lij^ht  of  knovvlnlj^e  derived  from 
otlu-r  sourci's  concerniiii;'  the  men  who  lii^ure  in  this  book, 
and  whose  handvv  ritini,^  ai^^ain  and  ai;ain  appears  throu^di  it. 
So  considered,    there    will    be   no  lack    of   interi'st    in    them    to 


% 


r~" 


56 

thosf  In  \vh..in  tills  son  ..f  hisloru-al  ivscaivli  ;.lf..nls  pK  isuir. 
TluMV  is  alwavs  s..mrlhin^  fasniiatiii,!;-  in  o.iHiMnp..r,,iu'..us 
iTO.nls  and  sinnatuivs  of  ,nTs..i.s  u  Iw.  u  cv  imoiutis  i.Mhis 
vvcsliTi)  i-oimtrv.  amlulK.s.'  iianu's  ami  iI.hhIs  u  rii'  pail  ..f  .'ur 
^.arlv  liislorv.  and  1  lliink  thai  tliis  is  .■specially  llu'  .asr  \shrvv 
tlu'  ivoMils'aif  tlioso  ..f  tluir  birtl>s.  baptisms.  niarriaKi-s,    and 

ilratlis. 

ll  is  .,..1  paitirulaily  t..  tlic  prit-t-  wli..  havr  ^i^nrd  tlu'  ot- 
tilUatrsmthrsr  iv-islffs.  t.,  wlmn.  1  a.n  ivlrnin-.  but  yrl 
brlnrr  I  sprak  of  otluT  names  morr  iutcTcMiMn  still,  let  mo 
call    vour  attention  to  somelliin-'  that  may  be  said  .4    them. 

For  inslanei'.  u  e  knou  that  Father  de  Lamorinie.  uho  makes 
thr  first  eontemporaneous  enf.y  in  this  re-ister  in  lyp.  wi's 
afm-Nvards  at  the  mission  (,n  .^t.  Joseph  river  and,  bein-  driven 
from  there  bv  the  vieissitudes  of  the  I'reneh  and  hulian  war. 
uenl  to  minister  to  U.e  settlers  at  the  missio,,  of  St.  liene- 
Nii've.  not  far  from  the   present  site  of   St.  Louis. 

IJy  virtue  of  an  infamous  deeree  of  the  .Superior  L'ouneil  ot 
Louisian.i.  an  insit,niilieanl  body  of  provincial  otlke.s.  u  ho  un- 
dertook in  I70,^  to  eondenm  the  Soeiety  <.f  Jesus,  and  K.  sup- 
pa.ss  the  order  within  Louisiana,  he  was  seized,  althou-h  upon 
I'.ritish  soil,  and  with  otlur  priests  from  .Kaskaskia  ami  \  m- 
een>ies.  taken  to  Neu  Orleans,  and  sent  from  there  to  Fratue. 
with  ..rders  to  present  himself  to  the  Due  de  Choiseul.  This 
uas  his  reuaal  tor  tlu'  zeal  and  assiduity  and  devotion  wliieh 
he  luul  manifested  in  his  mission. 

Father  Lefrane  and  Fati>er  Du  Jaunay  wire  then  left  alone 
as  the  last  lesuit  missionaries  in  this  wi'stirn  eountry. 
'     Father  Hu  jaunav  was  at  .Maekit.ae  at  the  tinie  of  I'ontiae's 
conspiraey.      On   the    :d    of  June,  i-J(K^,^hv    Indians   attacked 


57 


pll    ISUIl'. 

or.iiH'ous 
IS  in  llii^ 
lit  (if  (lur 

SI'  wlu'lr 
jfi's,    and 

1  till'  (vr- 
.  but   yrt 
11.  let    nil' 
tlu'm. 
ho  makfs 
7  11.   was 
i)j4  ilri\  I'll 
idiaii  war. 
'^t.    Ijl'IU'- 

L'ouiu'il  nt 
;.  w  Im  Uii- 
11(1  lo  sup- 
jut^h  upon 
and    \'m- 

lil    I'^MIUl.'. 

,'UI.      This 
ion    which 

1  Irl'l  alniK" 

V. 

f   I'ontiac's 
s   aUacke'd 


I'^iiit    Mai'kiiiai-.    massarriii;^  iiiusi  of  the  ;^aiiisoii,  and  niakinij 
pri>c)iu'rs  III    the  (illiiiTs.  all  III    w  hirh  i->   ^iMpliii  ,ill\     di'^t  i  ihcd 
in     Parkinan's     Ilistmx     nl     ihr    C'(in>pii,u  \     nl    I'uiiii.n.      \\\ 
l''allu''r  dii  Janiiay,  llir   lapliiii'd    C'apl.nii    I'alii'iin^hiii    miii    a 
Irlti'i-  si  II  Hi  iy  all  IT  wards  to  .Majui-  (  iladw  \  n.  w  Im  w  as  llu'ii  hr- 
sii'^rd  by    l'onti;n'    hiinsrll    in    llu'    Imi    ;ii     !  )il  i  ( lit,  iiskin^;    lor 
assistaiui'  w  liK  li.    imuiv  rr.  ( ilaibv  \  n  was   pllW(^l^.•^s    lo    ^i\i'. 
Dlijaunay  went,  ami  of  i  oiii>r   thioii^li  his  irilhuinc  with  llic 
Indiaiiswast'iiabli'dtoiari)  llu'iiolr  iiilolhc  lori.  C'.iptain  I'JIuT- 
inH'ton  says  of  him  in  his  IrtUT:    ••  I  ha\i'  luiii  \  rr\  niiu  h  oblii;i'd 
lo    tlu'  ji'Miit    1(11-    till'    many    i^ood   olIii(      he  has  done  mi  this 
(Hiasioii.      Ill'    siTiiis    iiuliiii'd   to  i;ii  dow  n  lo    \oiiiposi   lor   a 
day    or    two.  whiih    I    am    xi'ry    i^iad  of.  as  he  i>  a    xcrx    ^ood 
man.  and  has  a  i^ii'.it  di'al  to  sa\-  with    liic    sa\ai;rs  lu'ri.'aboiit. 
who    will    bilii'M'   i'\  I'l-ythini^    he    tclU    ihrin    on    his    n'liirn." 
Ik'     lH't;s     him     to  st'iul     the    priest     bark   as    soon    as   possi- 
bli',  as  llR'y  will    W    in   ;4rt'at    med  of   him.      In  a  diar\   ol    llu- 
sit'Hi'  (if   Di'lroil,   pnblishi'd  in  till'    Miihi^an    historical    colic. ■- 
lions,  it  ajipcars  that  I-'athcr   I  )ii  Jaiinay  K'ft    Detroit    upon    his 
return    upon    the    jotli    of  June,    i  ;''l,^      'llie    hillowin-    is  the 
entry  in  the  diary :     ••  This  mornini;'  the  commandant    i;a\e    to 
the  Jesuit  a  memiaandum  of  what  he  should  sa\  to  the  Indians 
and  I'rencli  at    .Michilimackinac.  as  also  to    Captain    i'-therin^- 
ton.  seeiiiLj  that  he  did  not  choose  to  carr\-  ,i  letter,  sasinj^  that 
it    he  did  and    wi'ri'    asked    by    the    Indians   if   he    had    one.  he 
should  be  obliged   lo  ^ay    yes.  as  he  had  ne\-er  told  a  lie  in  his 
life."      .Mler  l'"ather  Du  Jaunay  k'ft  the  mission  at    .Mackinai. 
lie  became  su|H-rior  of  the  mission  at  St.  josi'ph.  and  remaiiu'd 
in  the  west  until   1774.  and  then  returned  to    l-'rance  to  die. 
In  1825   a    missionarv  xisitini;-   the    Indian     eoimrci'ation    es- 


i 


58 


,,bli.lu.l.l  .\,hi.  C'r.ul.r.nmiiikraihat  ihr  mr.nnry  nf  !•  atluT 
l)u  |;ui....v  vv.>s  r.liunusK  ,.,v>..  vr.l  aniun-  all  ll.r  trihrs.  a-ul 
,|,/,,l;u,.\sas  p-.inl.a  nut  in  l.in,  whnv  thr  pru'sl  u^<fil  In 
walls  \n1.'1i'  saviiiu'  liis  bn'\iar\. 

In  iSj.Mlu'\hirlsnl  ihr  Oltauas  p.  tit  iuiir>l  tl:r  rnl.i,nvss 
.,i  Ihr  Initr.l  Slates  to  snul  tlutn  Jrstiit  priests  tn  lake  ihr 
ph,,,  tlu.N  said,  ••oi  1-atluT  DMjaut.av.ulu.  lived  u:ll'  us  ,n 
.„„.  ,ii,,;„  .,,  Arbtr  rtuehe.  atul  rt.llivatol  a  lirKl  a.  nur 
,,,,itu,vi..   ...cUTtu  ,eaehi.sthr,Mi.Kiplesnia-iieult,i.vaiHl 

C'lirisliaiiil\ .""  .  . 

KalluT  ('iibaiill.  vNhnse  entries  as  viear-vnefal  ot  Lnii.siai.a 
,„a  Illinois  1  have  reierred  to,  was  in  Kaskaskia  as  a  resuletU 
p.iesl  in  177^.  ami  muleiiook  then  a  mission  to  \  „ue,>nes  on 
l,,,,„l,  „!■  (ieor.ue  Rogers  L-lark.  and  sueeeeded  in  ind.tein^  its 
inhabitants  to  deelare  lor  tlu'  Ameiieans. 

(iabriel  Kiehatd  uasa  most  ivnafkable    man  in  very    many 
wavs.      (.'on.in-   l'".n    K.a.iee.  a  Sulpu  ian   priest,  in   i7'>--   ';*■ 
w.'s  sent  bv  I'.ishop  L'ar.oll  ot    lialti>n..re.  to  tl.e  settletnents  m 
,h,llHnois"tor  two  purposes.      KitM.  that  as  bein^  ni  the  same 
raee  at.d  lan^ua^^e,  he  .n,-l.l  -ive  regular   pastoral  eare  to   the 
l.-,,neh  and  Ca.tadians  and  their   ball-breed    deseendants,    who 
h;,d.  sinee  the  ba.-lish  oeeupation.  fallen  it.losneh  sad  need   ol 
if   ;„h1     seeotuUv.    that    he    nn-ht    develop   and   ene..ura,-e    ,n 
,lus  western    eoun.rv   a    new    growth  of   the   Catholie   riunvh 
,,,„n     ,,.ots    that     should    strike    more    deeply    than    the   ok 
K,,,Hh  nnssi..ns  e.mld   into  the  newly-borti  Ameruan  hie   and 
national  eharaeter.      In  179^- ab-r  labors    whieh   had    beeatne 
n,ore  atul  n.ore  fruitful  as  the  yc.trs  wetU  on.  he  was  withdrawn 
from    llli.mis.    and  wem  .0  Detroit,  and  at    Detroit.   Irom   .70  1 
nil  ,Sr-  l>is  ai.n  attd  mait,  uork  lay.  To-day  his  statue  upon 


utn 


n'.s.  iiiul 
UMi'il    I" 

'oiii^Trss 
;ikr  iIh- 
111)    u^  in 

I  in  (lur 
tiiir  ami 

^(luisiana 

i-csidiMit 

■lines   (in 

Im  in^'  its 

i\  many 
i7(>j.  lu' 
I'liuMits  in 
llic  sainr 
111'  to  iIk' 
lilts,  wild 
il  lU'rd  <>t 
iiurai^'v'  in 
c   C'liunli 

II  llu'   old 

III  lil'r  and 
tl  briMiiu' 
aillulrawii 
from  1701 
ilaUK'  upon 


59 

tlif  iiohlc  Luadc  ol  tin'  iil\  hall  ol  |)rlroil  prcsiTV  I's  Ini  its 
iiiliahit, lilts  his  iihuk.iv  as  oiir  ol  ihr  lit>i  and  iiio>l  iiiiiior. 
taut  |)ioiirt'rs  ol  Mil  InMaii. 

'  ''■  loiiiid  liiii.'  as  ihcM'  rriords  show  to  malsr  p.isloial  \  isils 
to  the  almost  abaiidoiii'd  Indians  and  hall-hiitils.  I''iriu  h  \  o\ - 
amiiis  and  IradiTs  in  all  the  Indian  missions  ahoiil.  Uul.  as 
I  lia\r  said,  his  main  work  was  at  Drlroil.  He  was  thfii- 
jL;i\rii  a  liiT  hand.  1  Ir  ciilari^cd  and  improved  all  the  jiaro- 
iliial  and  mission  sihools;  he  o|n'nrd  an  aiadeiiu  ol  a  \r\\ 
liii;li  ilass  lor  the  higher  eiUu-alion  ol  women:  he  instil  uled  and 
larried  on  a  ihrolo^iial  scininarx  :  he  supplied  his  sehools  w  ii  li 
olu'iniial  and  astidiiomieal  apparatus,  110  eas\  task  at  the  tiine 
in  whirh  he  did  it.  In  iSoj.  riMli/inn'  that  i-ai^lish  and  ihe 
I'vtij^iisli  lon;;iie  weii'  always  to  he  in  liie  asi  eiideiu  \  in  Aiiier- 
K-a,  In-  fstahlished  a  si'iies  ol  l'aii;li>h  sermons  to  be  i^isa'ii 
e\ery  Sunday  in  llu'  rouneil  house  ol  the  dieii  lu'wiy  i-slablislu'cl 
TtTritorv   ol  .Miehinaii. 

In  iSoi  lie  imported  troin  ICurope  for  his  ihiireh  in  hetroit 
the  lirst  or^aii  that  was  t.'\vr  brought  to  the  Xorlhwcsl. 

Diu-in^r  the  war  and  alter  the  surrender  of  Detroit,  the  laii;-- 
lish  imprisoned  liini  upon  llu-  ground  that  he  w  as  iiisli;L;ator  and 
e\i  iter  of  anti-l'-nn|i,sii  feelinjr. 

In  iSji,  as  we  have  seen,  he  was  at  .Maekinai'  and  he  also 
went  to  (iit-i'ii  Hay.  I  do  not  /,// 1:.;  hu\  I  taniiot  help  eoii- 
jei'luriiiH-  thai  lie  w.is  a  passi'ii^^er  in  the  seeoiid  trip  (■ser  made 
by  a  steamboat  upon  Lake  Michigan  or  Lake  Huron.  It  is 
certain  that  the  jiioiiet'r  sleanu'r,  W'alk-in-Water,  left  Detroit 
for  Mackinac  upon  July,^i.  iS_>r.  and  that  l-"ather  Richard 
apiH'ars  to  jia\-e  reached  Mackinac  just  about  the  lime  the 
steamer  did,  in  the  early  days  of  August.      It  certaiiiK   would  be 


i 


1 


6o 


quit,  in  acH-or.lanc-.  with  his  charactc-r  to  have  thr  .l.s.r.  I., 
nr.knhistrip.  If  h.aicl.hchaa  for  a  ompani.m  Uu'  Krvnvml 
Klra/eT  Williams,  s.,  wrll  knoan  in  cunnrclion  uilh  h,s  daun 
to  U-  thr  s..n  of  Louis  WI.  and  ihr  Dauphin  oi   Krancr. 

In  .S-,  FalluT  Kidianl  n  as  v\vcWd  as  a  dc-U'-aU-  to  C  on- 
,n-c.ss  froin  ihr  Irrritorv  of  Miehi^nuu  the  o.dy  insUuKT  m  whKh 
a  Catholic  c.cc-U.siasti.  has  hc-n,  .^ff.rcd  or  acxvpted  such  a  po- 
silion.  Whilr  in  Washin-U.n  h.  Inranu-  a  urrat  favntc 
amon-st  his  collca-urs  and  in  thr  socirty  of  tin.  cap.lal.  He 
made^at  Last  our  iniportant  sp.rch.  h  was  o.nccrnm-  a  pro- 
posed appropriatiou  for  a  military  road  from  Detroit  to  1-ort 
Dearhorn  and  the   mouth  of  the  Chica.Ljo    Kiver. 

In  ,Sr.  in  a  visitatio.,  ..f  the  Asiatic  cholera  at  Detroit 
Father  Richard,  then  almost  seventy  years  old.  devoted  hnnself 
so  conslantlv  to  the  sick  and  dvin^-.  as  to  cause  h.m  hnally,  en- 
tirelv  Nvoni  out.  to  succund,  t<.  the  dread  disease.  I5v  us 
dvin"..-  hed  were  the  saintly  Fe.nvick.  his  l^.slmp.  and  his 
voun^.er  friend  and  disciple,  Frederick  Bara.ua.  uho  af.er- 
;vards  became  the  bishop  of  Marquette,  and  u  as  destined  to 
revive  in  his  own  person  the  -lories  of  the  very  -reatesl  and 
earliest  of  the  Indian  missionaries. 

Of  the  numerous  lax-men.  soldiers,  traders  and  voya-eurs, 
whose  names  and  signatures  appear  freciuently  in  this  register, 
and  concerning  xvlu.m  history  has  more  or  less  to  ^^^  Pei- 
haps  the  most  striking  and  interesting  li-ure  is  Charles  Michel 
<le  Lanu-lade.  The  record  of  his  baptism  appears  ni  the 
abridgment  of  the  old  register  preserved  at  the  beginning  ot  Urn 
bv  which  it  appears  that  Charles  Michel  de  Langlade  son  of 
Monsieur  de  Langlade,  was  bapti/.ed  upon  the  plh  of  May, 
1729. 


L'sirt,'  Ic) 
r\  (.'irml 
lis  claim 

to  Con- 
in  \vhit."li 
ch  ii  po- 

favorite 
lal.  llf 
I  a  a  pro- 

to    l-'orl 

Drlroit, 

I  himself 

iially,  fii- 

l',y   his 

and  his 
ho  at^.T- 
jstincd  to 
atfsl   and 


oyajfi'urs, 
s  re<fister, 
say.  JHT- 
Ics  Michel 
rs  in  the 
ing  of  this, 
idc,  son  of 
h  of  Mav, 


6t 

FalluT  Lcfraiic.  in  i  j;.,.  rcrtilics  •  that  upon  the  uth  dav 
<>i  Aiiuust.  ,75  J.  lu-.  ;,  ,nissi,,„ary  prii'st  of  the  company 
ot  Jesis,  received  the  mutual  consiTU  to  marria-v  of 
Lc  Sieur  l)e  Lannlade  and  Charlotte  A.nhroisine  IJomassa. 
'^-"1'  inhahilants  nf  this  post,  in  the  presence  „f  the  muler- 
.si,i;ned  witnesses."  To  this  certilicale  are  std.serihed  the 
names  of  the  principal  inhahitants  of  .Maekim:  -  :.  the  time, 
includino-  that  of  -  llerhin.- commanding-  at  the  post.  Mad- 
emoiselle Hourassa  was  the  daui,diler  of  an  Indian  trader  of 
suhstance  and  standino-.  recently  removed  to  .Mackinac  froiu 
.Montreal.  The  re-ister  shows  that  he  must  have  had  a  lar-e 
iamily.  and  hoth  Indian  and  iie^ro   slaves. 

(■'"Ilowing  the  marria-e.  occur  at  intervals,  careful  certili- 
cates  of  haptis.n  of  various  children  of  Monsieur  and  of  Mad- 
ame dc  Lanulade.  and  in  the  capacity  of  nodlalher  and 
witness.  Charles  de  Langlade  has  left  his  si^^nature  scores  of 
times  in    '  is  register. 

I  do  noi  know  whether  any  of  you  are  f  uniliar  with  his  life 
but  it  is  one  of  the  most  nanantic  and  stirrin-  of  anv  of  our 
pioneers  in  the  West,  and  he  is  knoun  ainon-  the  inhahilants 
of  a  neighhorino-  stale  as  -  the  hmnder  of  Wisconsin."  His 
father  was  .\u,irustin  Laniflade.  who  was.  at  a  vi-rv  early  pe- 
riod in  the  eighteenth  centurv.  a  fur  trader  at  ".Mackinac 
Aun-ustin  Lan-lade  married  a  sister  of  the  principal  chief  of 
tl.c  Ottawas.  and  Charles  de  Lan-lade  was  therefore  a  true 
half-hreed. 

Ills  early  education  in  letters  was  undouhtedlv  one  of  tin- 
i^iresof  Father  I)u  jamiay,  hut  his  earlv  educadon  inarms 
wa.s  at  the  .solicitation  of  his  sava-e  uncle,  intrusted  to  him. 
Fn   i^l^.  heinu-  then  hut  live  years  old.  he  was  :  llowed    hv  his 


1 


:  I 


62 


I    ! 


tatluT.  uiulrr  the  rnlri'alirs  of  llu'  IiuHaiis  wiio  liad  takrn  a 
taiR\  to  liiin.  to  atfompany  a  war  I'xpcditioii  ot  liis  mule 
against  a  iribr  allird  to  tlir  l':iin;lish.  his  falhcr  adjurin^f  liini 
upon  sriulin^  liim  away,  to  sliow  no  fi'ar.  W  lien  lie  was  six- 
\vvu  \  rars  of  aui.'.  his  father  ami  he  established  a  tradiiij^f  post 
at  (ireeii  15a v.  15a\  des  Puaiits.  as  it  was  called  in  those  days. 
And  from  thai  tinu'  tlu'  son  resided  allernately  at  (ireeri  Bav 
and  at  Maikinae.  when  lie  was  not  absent  upon  his  numerous 
militar\   I'xpeditions. 

Aifaiiist  the  Saes  and  Foxes,  at  tlu-  head  of  a  band  of  Otla- 
was.  LaMi;latU'  made  frt'ipuMit  expeditions  after  the  establish- 
ment at  (irei'ii  ISay  was  made,  to  protect  tin-  new  settli'uient 
or  to  revi'n<;e  and  punish  cU'predations. 

In  1755  there  broke  out  the  S.-ven  Years  War.  The  h'reneh 
>,ro\ernnu'nt  wiselv  undertook  to  secure,  in  ordt'r  to  aid  the 
re<,nilar  troops  and  tlu'  Canadian  militia,  a  contingent  ol  the 
sa\an'es  and  coureurs  de  hois,  who  wi're  to  be  iountl  about 
the  diffi'reiil  tratliun- stations.  The  command  w  as  entrusted  to 
Charles  de  Lani;lade.  Inited  to  the  sa\ai,a-s  by  the  lies  of 
blooih  b\  the  similarity  of  liabits.  familiar  with  their  !anuuai;e 
anil  with  their  motles  of  warfai-e.  of  pro\  en  courage  and  abil- 
ilv.  Langlade  was  exactly  the  man  h)r  the  situation,  lli'  nr- 
trani/ed  a  troop  of  at  least  1.500  Indians  and  half-breeds,  who 
rallied  willin^b  under  tlu-  1-^rench  tlay  aj^ainst  the  hated  En>f- 
lish.  Amoni;-  his  foUowi'rs  is  believed  to  ha\e  been  the  chief- 
tain afterwards  so  f.imous.  I'oiuiac.  but  this  is  by  no  means 
certain.  This  most  effective  body,  Langlade  led  to  Fort  1  )u 
Quesne.  and  ujion  the  9tli  of  July.  1755.  about  half  of  his  forvi'. 
with  him  at  its  head,  toi;ether  with  ^50  Frenciimen  under 
lieaujeau,  w  ho  commanded  at  Fort  Du  Quesne.  marched  out 


1  takrn  ,i 
his  uiuK' 
ifinj^f  him 
was  si\- 
(linj^  post 
osi'  tla\s. 
rc'iri  Hav 
iuiinL'r()ii> 

1  of  Olta- 
I'stahlish- 
;fttlt.'iiuMU 

H'  l"'n'iuli 
o  aid  llie 
III  of  tin- 
iiul  alioul 
itrustrd  to 
u'    lirs   of 

laiimiap'i' 
■  and  ahil- 
.  IK'nr- 
■I'ds.  wlio 
It  I'd    Kn^- 

tho  chii-f- 
iio  nu'ans 
I)  Fort  1  )u 
f  his  foivc. 

K'U     UIldlT 

rchtd  out 


i 


trom  thi'  post  andsurprisrd  upon  tin-  .Moiiou^lirla  ri\  it.  tlu'anux 
ot  llraddock.  iuiinl)iTinM-  at  Irast  j.ock)  iiumi.  Tlu'  trnihli' 
rout  ol  thr  ICu^lisli  army  upon  thai  da\-  is  too  wi'll  known  to 
nrrd  n'-ti'lliii^.  (irornr  Washiiii^ton.  who  was  prrsrnt,  in 
connnand  ot  tlir  \'iri^nnia  militia,  could  onl\-  sa\  of  it.  •■  w  r  ari' 
IhmU'ii.  shanu'fuily  hi'ati'ii.  Iiy  a  handful  of  sava<;t'S  and  I'l-cnch- 
mrn." 

'I'hv  shari'  ot  De  Lannladr  in  this  \i(.-tor\ .  liu-  honor  of 
whicii  really  i-ntiri'ly  Ix-loui^s  to  him,  lias  not  hrrii  sullicii'nlU 
riTo^iiizi'd  b\-  historical  writc'i's.  wlio  niakt.'  lu'aujiau  its  lu'id. 
hul  the  contrmiiorary  accounts  Icaxc  no  doubt  in  m\  mind  of 
his  ri^httul  claim  to  the  distinction,  (icmral  l)Uii;-o\  iic,  in  a 
letter  to  Lord  (icorj^i'  (icrmainc.  in  1777,  spcakitu;'  of  huhaii 
allies  whom  lu'  e.\|iecled,  says:  ■•  I  am  informed  that  the  ()l- 
tawas  aiifl  other  Indian  (rilu's.  who  are  two  da\  s'  march  from 
US.  are  brave  and  faithiul.  and  that  the\-  practice  war.  and  not 
pillage.  I^'lu'y  are  under  the  orders  of  Monsiiair  tie  Laiinladi'. 
the  \ery  man  who.  with  his  troops,  projected  and  ext'cuted 
Braddock's  deft-at." 

In  1750  Laiiulade  was  put  in  charge  of  a  det.iclmient  of 
French  and  Indians,  ami  made  numerous  expeditions  from 
Fort  Du  (juesne.  In  1757  he  caiiu'  back  from  llu'  wfsiatthe 
head  ot  several  huiidred  natives  and  joined  .Montcalm,  and  after 
that  summer's  campaign  he  received  from  the  (jo\  ernor  of 
L'anada  1  \'audreuil  1  orders  lo  reporl  at  the  post  in  Mackinac 
as  >econd  in  commaiul  to  Monsieur  lieaujiMu,  wli;)  w.is  a 
brother  of  his  old  comrade  at  I'"orl   Du  (^uesne. 

In  1759  Lan;;la(K-  leit  .Micliilimackinac  for  (Quebec  at  llu' 
heiMi  oi  a  bod\  o(  Iiulians.  and  joini'd  the  arnn  of  (he  Marquis 
di-  Montcalm.      It  is  e\  iiieiit   that    there  wi'ic  linu's  befoie  the 


fatal  (la\  aliovi-  the  i'laiiis  of  Aliraliam  dii  llu'  i_^th  of  Srptnn- 
luT.  1759.  wlu'M.   had    his    ail\  iii'   Ihhii    folloui'd.  tiu'  armyot 
Wolfi'    iniL;lit    ha\i'   Ihtii    (.Mitiri'ly  drslnn  t'd.   Init   hv   was  not 
allowi'd  tlu'  usr  of  tliat  disuctioii  which  iiad  |irovcd  so  \  aluahii' 
U|ioii  thf  Moii()iiL;'aht.la.      I  U'  was  at   thi-   hattk'  on  the  i.U'i  <>' 
Si'pti'ndu'r  and    had    two   brothrrs  sliot  by  ;  -.   sidi-.      Six  days 
aftiTwards      (^iK-bre     suiTeiidiTid.        Laii^ladr     thoiij^lit     thr 
ca|iitulation    cowardly,    and   rrtirrd   in    dis;4usl    to     Mackinai.-. 
wluTc  he   found  awaitini^   iiini  a  lieutenant's  eoinniision  in  the 
Freiuh    arniv  si<;iu'd    Iw  Louis    W.      .\;;ain  Langlade  joined 
tile  arni\   and  was  present  at  the  last  \  ietory  of  the  l''reneh  and 
L'anachans   on   the    jSth    of  April,    1760.  upon   the   same    lield 
where  Monteahn  had   been  pre\  iously  defeated.      IWit  the   end 
was   approaehiiii;-,   and    the   hopelessness    of    tlu-   eause   Ihmiil; 
recognized,  l.ani^hule  was  sent  witii  his   Indian  troops  back   to 
the   west,  where  shortlv  after  he   received  the  followin;;-  letter 
from  \'auilreuil : 

••' MoNTKKAi  .  Ninth  of  Septendier,  17O0. 

•'  1  inform  vou,  sir,  that  I  ha  ^  to-day  been  obli!:fed  to  capit- 
ulate to  the  armv  of  (leneral  ..niherst.  This  city  is.  as  you 
know,  without  defenses.  Our  on\M>  wi're  considerably  di- 
niinislu'd.  our  means  and  resources  exhairsted.  W  e  were  sur- 
rouniled  Iw  three  armii's.  amouiuiniL;-  in  all  to  twenty  thousand 
men.  (jeneral  Amherst  was.  on  the  sixth  ot  this 
month,  in  sin'ht  of  the  walls  of  Uiis  cit\ .  (Jeneral  Murray 
within  reach  of  oni'  of  our  suburbs  and  the  ai'uiy  ot  Lake 
L'liamplain  was  at  La  Prairii'  Lon^ueil. 

••  I'nder  these  liicumstances.  with  nothiiiL!;  to  hope  from  our 
efforts,  nor  even  from  the  sacrilice  of  our  troops.  I  ha\e  atl- 
visedh  decided  tt)  capitulate  to  (lencral    Anih":-l  upon   condi- 


^\s 


)[  Sfptrin- 
u'  ;irmv  (it 
K'  was  not 
■;()  \  aliiahk- 
lliL'  i,Uli  of 
Six  (lavs 
()Ui;lit     the 

Mackinai.-, 
isioii  in  the 
[IdiW'  joiiH'd 
I'^ri'iuh  and 

sanu'  Held 
)Ul  tlu-  entl 
ausf  being 
)j)s  baek  to 
)\viiii;"  letter 

HT.  1760. 
ed  to  capit- 
is, as  you 
iderahly  di- 
e  were  sin^- 
t\'  thousand 
h  of  this 
ral  Murray 
IN'    (»l    Lake 

)p('  from  our 

I    ha\e   ail- 

upon   eoiuli- 


tions  \  ery  advantai^'eous  for  tin-  eolouists.  atul  pai'tieularU  for 
the  inhabitants  of  Miehiliinaekinae.  indi-ed.  llie\  retain  the 
Uw  evenisr  ot  iju'ir  religion:  they  aix'  in  lintained  in  the  pos- 
session of  their  floods,  real  and  |iersonal.  and  of  their  ]H'ltiies. 
I''hey  haw  also  frt'e  tradi'  just  the  sanu'  as  the  propt'i"  sub- 
jects of  the  kinu-  of  (Jreal  IJrilain. 

'■The  same  eonditions  ari'  accorded  to  the  militarv.  'I'hev 
can  appoint  pt'rsons  to  act  for  them  in  their  absi'iu'e.  'I'he\, 
and  all  citizens  in  i,rt.,iiTal,  can  sell  to  the  ICn^lish  or  l-'rench 
their  ^oods.  sendiuL;-  the  pi-oceeds  thereof  to  I-'rance.  or  taking- 
them  with  them  if  they  choose  to  rt-turn  to  that  couiUrx  aftt'r 
the  |H\'ce.  Tlu'y  retain  their  nen'roes  and  I'awni'e  Indian 
slaves,  but  will  be  oblii,ri'd  to  restori'  those  which  ha\-e  ln'cn 
taken  from  the  ICn^lish.  'I'he  luii;lish  (u'lU'ral  has  declared 
that  the  Canadians  ha\e  bi-come  tin-  subjects  of  His  lirittannic 
Majesty,  and  consetjuently  the  pi'opk'  will  not  coiUimie  to  be 
goveriu'd  as  heretofore  by  the  b^i'iich   code. 

'•  hi  rcLjard  to  the  troops,  the  condition  has  been  imposed 
upon  tiu'in  not  to  ser\i'  durini;'  the  jiresent  war  and  to  lax- 
down  their  arms  behire  beinn-  sent  back  to  France.  Wni  will 
therefore,  sir,  assendili-  all  the  othcers  and  soldit'rs  w  ho  are  at 
your  post,  ^'ou  will  cause  them  to  lav  down  their  arms,  and 
you  will  i^roeeed  with  them  to  such  st'aport  as  vou  think  best, 
to  pass  from  thence  to  France.  11ie  citizens  and  inhabit.mts 
of  Michilimackinac  will  conseipiently  be  under  the  counnand  of 
the  otiicer  whom  (/eneral  .Xndu'rst  shall  appoint  to    that    post. 

"  ^'ou  will  forward  a  copy  of  my  letti'r  to  St.  Josepli  and  to 
till'  nei_i,dib()rin>4-  posts,  in  order  that  if  an\-  soldiers  remain 
there  they  and  the  inhabitants  ma\   conform  thereto. 

"  I  count  upon  the  pleasure  of  set'iiii;-  xou  in  I'^ranci'  with  all 
\our  otiicers. 


66 


>■  I  \\A\v  i1k'  hdiior  lo  br  \  riy  siiKiTclv .  Mniisiiur.  xour  very 
luiinbU'  aiitl  mtv  olu'ilii'iil  si.T\ant, 

>■  \'ai  i)Ki;i  II.." 

In  17O1  llu'  I'ji^lisli  arri\r(lat  l'''.)ii  .Mackinai.'.  Thf  ICn^iisli 
DlliciT.  lOllirriiimoii.  iiniU'd  Laii^ladi'  lo  ri'sidc  as  bt'fori'  at  tlii' 
lort.  aiul  loiiliTii'd  uitli  him  upon  all  iiiu'.slioiis  ot  local  admiii- 
istratioiK  a  iiri'caiilioii  wliiih  |iro\  I'd  thrrralUT  ol  i^riMt  srr- 
\kv.  In  lyd^iii  du'  ii)nspir.ii.y  of  I'oiui.u-,  l-'oil  .Maikiiiac 
was  surprisiil  b\  llu'  Indians  and  llir  ICn<;lish  inassati  I'd.  IJut 
bi-foro  thai  v\v\n  Lani,da(K'  had  oicasion  to  warn  ICthcrinnlon 
in  vjiin.  I  Ii-  was  prcsiMit  in  the  tort  at  llu'  tinu'  of  the  nia.ssaere 
but  eould  ilo  nothini;-  to  arrest  it.  Innne'dialely  allerwards, 
howe\  er.  learnini;-  that  luiierinnton  and  his  seeond  in  eonnnand 
were  prisoners  and  about  to  be  burned  at  some  dislaiue  irom 
the  fort,  he  ori;ani/.i'd  a  little  baiul  of  Ollawas,  loyal  to  him- 
self, and  rescued  the  jirisoners.  delyinj^-  the  drunken  \ietors  lo 
opjiose  him. 

IOtlu'rin<;ton  while  a  jirisoner  delegated  his  authority   at    the 
fort  lo  Laui^lade. 

When  the  Revolutionary  war  broke  out  Charles  Lan^dade, 
then  almost  liflv  vears  of  a^e,  was  induced  by  the  En^li.sh,  liis 
old  enemies,  to  attempt  lo  secure,  in  the  intvresl  of  the  Lnj^lish, 
all  the  Western  Indians  and  to  raise  an  auxiliary  force  of  In- 
dians for  use  in  the  war.  He  i(Mned  Hurgoyne's  army  in  July, 
1777.  Burgovne  afterwards  complained  of  the  conduct — not 
of  Langlade,  but  of  the  savages  he  led— but  Langlade  and  his 
comrade  St.  Luc  declared  that  the  fault  lay  not  with  the  sav- 
ages but  with  Burgo\ne  and  his  want  of  tad  and  justice. 

In  177S,  Langlade  raised  an  expetlition  to  reinforce  Lieuten- 
ant Governor  1  lamilton.  who  was  marching  upon  Colonel  George 


I 


\  our  vrry 

{i;i  II..'" 

r  lCiii;'lisli 
^)\\•  at  tlu' 
:tl  adiiiin- 
^Tt-al  srr- 
Mackiiiac 
ifd.  lint 
lu'iiiintoii 

nia.s.sacre 
liTuarils, 
tommaiul 
iiKf  IVoni 
il  lo  liiin- 

Niilois  to 

ily  at   tl.u 

Langlade, 
iiiilli.sh,  liis 
c  I'^n^lish, 
rto  of  In- 
ly in  Jul}', 
iduct — not 
dc  and  liis 
h  the  sav- 
stice. 

c  Lic'uten- 
nel  George 


67 

Rom'r.s  Clark.  alliT  tlif  lattiT  hail  laki'ii  pDssrssioii  ol  the  rc:;ion 
ol  till'  Illinois.  Lan^latk'  sfcurrd  tlic  assisianro  r\  en  of  the 
Indians  whom  llu'  ICiiijIi.sli  (.•Diiiiii  indaul  at  !''ort  .Maikinai". 
Di-  IV'Vster,  (.-allrd  that  ••  hoi-ritl  ri'fi-a.'lorv  set  of  Indians  al  .Mil- 
waukee." Ihit  the  expedition  was  disbanded  upon  its  arrival 
at  .'<t.  Josepii.  on  tlu'  rtneption  of  news  that  I  lainillon  had  sur- 
rendered to  Clark. 

l''or  his  serxiees  in  the  Ki'xolutionarv  War.  Laiii^lade  was 
j^ixi'U  a  pension  by  the  ICni;iisli  ( ioNennnent.  He  reinaineil 
supi'iintendent  of  the  Indians  until  his  death,  holdiuL;-  thus  an 
olliee  whieh.  as  I  understand  it.  eaine  from  the  rnitinl  .Statt'S 
(io\ernment.  as  well  as  a  pension  from  lMi;^land. 

lie  died  in  (ireen  I5ay  in  iSoo.  at  tlu'  a^t'  of  se\enly-one 
yi'ars.  lie  eould  eirumerati-  ninety-nine  battles  and  skirmishes 
in  whieh  durinjf  his  life  he  had  taken  jiart.  and  t-xpn-ssed  in 
his  later  yi'ars  re;L;ret  that  he  eould  not  have  rounded  the  e\en 
cenlin-\-. 

In  the  eourse  of  this  paper  I  ha\e  (juoti'd  in  full  tlu'  marriage 
eerlilieale  of  (."harles  (iaulier  de  \'iei\ille.  1  le  w  as  the  nejilu'W 
of  Lani,dade,  and  almost  equally  as  ilistiiiM-uished.  I  shall  not 
ha\e  time  to  sketch  hi.s  life  for  you,  InU  it  is  sullleient  to  say 
that  he  founht  with  his  unele  upon  tlu'  Plains  of  .\hraham. 
that  he  w  as  constantly  employed  durinj;'  the  Kevoliitionarv  War 
in  keepini;  the  Northwestern  Indians  in  line  with  the  Kurdish 
interest,  that  for  his  ser\ices  in  war  and  Indian  <li]ilomacv  he 
was  i;i\en  a  commission  as  cajitain  b\-  the  ICui^dish  <;()\ern- 
ment,  and  that  after  the  Revolutionary  War  and  hefori'  the  ces- 
sion of  Mackinac  to  the  Americans  he  was  tlu'  inti'riireler  for 
the  Indians  at  the  post.  In  1798  he  went  amonijst  the  I'arliest 
settlers  to  Prairie  du  Chien,  and  there  his  descendants  married 


I 


f 


6S 

anil  livril.  and  loilav  ari'  ils  IcadiiiL;  (.ili/riis    in    mlliu'iui'   ami 
position. 

Lan<,da(lr"s  si'ioiul  ilau.i;litrr  maniiil  I'iiTii' <  iri^iion.  aniliu', 
toil,  lii^uri's  ill  tliis  rt'i^isliT  in  many  ilitfrri'iil   iliaraitcrs.      lie 
was  an  liulian  traiUr,  wiio  also    bi'iaim-  our  ot    the  \iTy  I'arly 
si'UUts  at  (iic'iMi  Uay,  wlii'ii'  one  of  his  sons  was  livin^-  a   rc- 
sju'ili'd  lili/.rn  in  iSOo  or  ihcrcabouls.      'Hhti'  ari'  many  intn- 
I'siino-  Ihiiii's  that  eould  be  said  of   liim,  but  want   ol    time  tor- 
bids.      One  thinu.  however,  related   by    his  son,  Aiii,fiisline  de 
(irignon.  a  few    \ears  before    his   death,   linds  eonlirmation   in 
this  rej^ister.      hi  i  7S7  vou  may  renu'mber,  I'^alhi-r  I'ayet,  a.s  I 
have    said,   made  a    visit   to    Maekinae.      I'ierre  (ninnon  was 
then  at  Maekinae,  and  he  ileemed  it,  as  a  good  Caliiolie,  a  satis- 
faetor\  opportunity  to  ha\e  his  ehiklri'ii   baptized  by    a    priest, 
and  his  own  inarria,ire  with  M'lle  De    Langlade  eonlirmed  and 
ratified  by  the  same    authority.      He   therefore  sent  a  messen- 
ger to  Cireen  Hay  and  Madame  (irignon  and   six    small    child- 
ren, varying  in  ages  from  six  months  to  ten    years,  were  eon- 
veyt'tl  to  Maekinae  in  a  bireh  bark  eanoe,  a  distance  of   almost 
two  huiulred  and  fifty    miles.      When    they  arrived  there   they 
were  dulv  baptized  "  under  condition  "  (for    in    all   probability 
the   eeremom-   had   been    properly   enough    performed  by  lay 
hands),  and,  as  the  register  sets  forth,  Father  Payet  conferred 
upon  the  father  and  mother  the  sacrament  of  marriage  after  (I 
quote)  •'  having  received  the  mutual  consent  that  they  had  al- 
ready given  in  the  pri'seiice  of  w  itnesses  while  awaiting  an  op- 
portun!t\  to  ratify  their  alliance  before  an  approved  priest  and 
several  witnesses,  according  to  the  custom  and  as  it  is  ordered 
by  our  Mother,  the  1  loly  Church." 

Pierre  Grignon  was  evidently   a  thorough-going  man.   for  a 


69 


•iKi'   and 

1,  aiul  111', 
LIS.  lie 
iT\  I'iirly 
nj^  a  ri'- 
iny  intiM- 
tiim'  f(ir- 
iistiiu'  iK' 
n.ilion  ill 
iVfU  as  I 
^fiiuii  was 
i'.  a  salis- 
a  prii'sl, 
iiu'd  and 

1    IlK'SSC'll- 

all  cliild- 
ww  ion- 
of  almost 
uTc  llu-y 
robaliilily 
L'd  by  lay 
conferred 
V  aftt-T  ( I 
.■\-  had  al- 
iiif  an  op- 
iriL'sl  and 
is  ordLTL'il 

lan,  for  a 


li'W  days  afli'i'  this  iii.ini.im.'  •""'  I'aptismal  rcrciiKinx  lie  liimtrd 
up  and  lnou^lil  to  tlir  prirsl  a  natiii-al  son  of  liis  in-  a  sa\aL;i' 
inolluT.  and  liail  liini  als(  liapli/,rd.  Tlu'  -liox  was  liirn  tliir- 
ticn  yi'ars  of  at;i'. 

Tpnii  liif  luinty-lliird  ij.iy  of  .M;,y.  i -f,  ^.  t\\  o  cliildrm  wi'ic 
iiapli/i'd  In  l-'atiur  Du  jaunay.  and  lu'  uTtiliis  in  liir  riilr\ 
llial  oiu'  was  tlic  son  ol  a  woman  named  L'liopin,  foniu'riv  a 
slavi'  of  Monsirur  Lr  (.'iu\  alirr.  iiut  siiui'  sold  Id  an  ICn<flisli 
iiiiTiliant  ( ••(.•ommrrrant "'  |  named  ••  I  IciuuTi,"  ••  w  liieli  woman, 
althouf^li  not  \r\  baptized,  has  proli^sled,  in  pri'sentint;  her 
i-hild  for  holy  haptism,  that  slu'  had  nesi'r  liad  an\  otiiei"  faith 
than  that  of  the  I  loly  C'huivh.  e'.ithoiie.  Apostolie  and  Roman, 
and  that  her  nc'W  master  had  promised  not  to  constrain  her  on 
the  subject  of  religion."  Ten  days  after  this  baptism,  occurred 
the  fri^iilfu!  massacre  at  lM)rt  Mackinac,  and  this  J-:n<;lish  nicr- 
ciiant,  called  >•  I  k'nneri,"'  h.id  a  iianl  tinu'  of  it.  lie  has  k'ft  a 
little  book  from  which  I'arkmaii.  in  his  conspiracx'  of  Tontiac, 
has  drawn  his  iMtire  account  of  the  massacre.  It  is  entitk-d 
••  .\le\ander  Iien;-y"s  Travels."  \lv  was  ihi'  only  I':nnlisli 
trader  w  ho  escapcti,  and  he,  only  afti'r  almost  incretlible  sul'fer- 
ini;s  anil  dani;ers,  ard  throui^h  the  assistance  of  a  frieiulK- 
Indian.  I  le  was  concealed  at  lirst  in  the  house  of  Langlade. 
It  would  seem  from  !  leiiry's  account  that  although  Langlade 
protected  him,  he  was  none  too  well  disposed  toward  him,  but 
Laiiirlade's  .•o.-.iiuct  was  praised  by  ICtherini^lon  and  Leslie, 
and  the  prejudice  which  Henry  shows.  I  think  iiM'st  ha\e 
spruii_:,r  from  seeing;-  Lanijladeso  cool  and  unconcerned  i-e;^ard- 
inL,Hiis  own  safety  while  he  (Ilenryi  was  in  such  desperate 
pi-ril.  In  his  book  he  j^ixes  an  account  of  one  moment  dur- 
ing;- the    massacre    which  \i\idl\     impresses    ni\     imagination. 


Tlir  Iiuliaiis  ill  till'  l.irt  wcrr  furioiislN  nittiiiu^  down  aiiil 
siiilpiii-.  uliiK'  \i'l  li\inu-  n^'I}  ICiij^flishniaii  lliry  inuld  lliul. 
LaiiyLuK'  was  slaiuliny  ,il  his  wiiulnw  calmlv  ;,fa/iiii;-  :it  lliv 
sii'iu'.  lli'iiiv  inanaL,n(l.  1\\  >,  limliiiiji;  a  I'nui'.  to  sriuic  an 
cMitraiu'f  t'l  LaiiulaiU'"s  l\uiisr.  ami  in  lUspair  rushril  to  Inm 
iH'fri'iii"  loi-  pidtriiiiMi.  l^anuliuk'  turiu'd  li>  liim  for  a  nm- 
iiu'iil,  atul  llirn  anain  (lii\'i.iini;-  his  <j,.\/.v  finni  ihr  wiinlou. 
cahnK'  answL-ri'il  ••  And  wluit  do  youlh'ik  I  ran  dor"  'I  o 
Hcnrv  this  si-i-iiird  a  pk\c  of  irn  1  luMillcssiu'ss.  Init  altrr  all 
1  K'ni\  was  ronirali'd  in  Langlade's  liou-i'  and  atlcrw  ards 
savi'd.  and  I  ihink  it  uu)W  pn.habU'  that  Laii<,daik-'s  qufslioii 
ar'»sc  not  so  inuih  from  a  want  of  svmpatiiv  and  roinpassion  as 
fi..ni  that  in\int.ihK'  coohu'ss  whiili  had  braved  (k'a  I  h  loo  many 
tinu's  to  (.■on>iiUr  it  for  any  onr  tlu'  worst  thin.i,^  that  fould  he- 
fall  him. 

Tlu-rf  ari'  manv  iiimtions  a''d  signatures  in  this  reeord  ol 
lean  DaiUiste  iieaubien.  afti'rwards  one  of  the  st'ttlers  at  Mil- 
waukee and  Chiea-o.  ami  of  .\le\is  La  l-'ramboise.  who.  I 
think,  was  aflerwiirds  buried  under  ilie  ehuri'h  at  Maekiiiae 
Island  La  iM-amboise  was.  Iohl;'  before  Juneau,  a  settler  at  the 
present  site  of  Milwaukt'e.  I  would  like  to  speak  of  him 
further,  but  i    i\e  not   lime. 

I  will  elose  this  paper,  already  too  loni;'.  with  two  or  three 
stories  about  another  old  iiiomer  in  this  western  country,  w  hose 
name  ajipears  in  the  latter  part  of  these   renisters. 

ViuUm-  the  direetioii  of  F^Ulur  Richard,  in  1S21,  an  election 
was  held,  according  to  the  Canadian  custom,  of  mari,niilliers. 
(a  sort  of  wardens,  for  the  parish  church  at  Mackinac. 
Amonu"  thost'  lirst  elected,  it  was  certified,  was  Joseph  Rollet, 
whose  name  also  appears  in  the  re;;ister  as  a  witness  to  se\eral 


71 

a.lsnl    111,11  li.i-r  ami  ot  hapli.sin.    Ilr    drJiiu'd  i.,  ,ui.    I  siispi'it 
'^'■"  •''•  '''•'  ""1  <  ''ir  lo  iiu'ur  ihr  jK.ssihlr  iu'ii'>sit\  ,,f  prcuiiiarv 
r.mlril)uii..ii  ulu'li  the  oli'kr  \\nuU\  iiiijiH^r  upini  liim.      |usi'pl, 
K'lllit     was  onr  (,f   ilu   lailiisi.  i*    lu.t  tli.'v,  i\  rai  lu  >l.  pidiifcr 
ill   I'raiii,    (III  C'liirii.      llr    was    a    \vv\    n.,t((!    Iiulian  I  ladcr   m 
tins  nortli-wi'sh-ni  CMiiittry.      His  oprraiiims  rMciulcd  InMii  Si. 
J.ouis  and  I'rairi.'  dii  C'liicii  lo  ilic  Ki      l<i\-,.i-  sriil.  iiicnls.    Ilr 
lin.iio-i,i  his  -•;  x.d.s  diri'iily  lio'ii  Morili,  al  tlii-(ain|i  llir  lakes  to 
(iivni    I  Jay    .of  o.ursr    sto|)pinn     al     MatkiiNUK    and    lluiiu^ 
throu-h  llu'  |-"o\  ri\crand   down  llir    Wisconsin    in   a    llni    of 
Maclviiiaf  boats,    low  <  d    In     l-'ii'mli    Canadians.      Mr    Inianu' 
llrially  sihh  a  M-r^.;,!    p,,\\^.,-in    thr    iouplrx   th.ii  hr   u,is   i.illrd 
■•  KiM.i;-  Rollrl."  wlnlr  [hv  Indians  named  liini  •■  Tlic  i 'li.asanl." 
CM  aii-oiini  ,.|    his  fasl  iraxciinM-.      ||i-    n,a\.    indcrd.    ha\.-   d,- 
rlinrd  the  p.  ,Mlion  of   marj^uilliiT  InTausc  hr  u  as  ,,nl\  ini.rinil- 
t.'nlK  at   Mackinac,  althou-h  in  iSji.  at  llu- lime- ln' was  .l.rlriK 
hr  had  rhan-rd  his  hracUpiaitiTs.  wliR-h  had  toriiuTK    Incii  al 
Prairif    du    Chitn.  i,,  Maikinar.  by  a.oiptin--   an   ol'frr    fi<.ii) 
John  Jacob  .\stor  to  join  him  in  ihi'  Aiiurican  Fur  C'(,mpan\. 
and  take  char-'.'  of  thr  trade  of  that  powiTfiii  inonopo!\    in  llir 
Northwest.      Wv  afterwards  ai;-ain.  ho\ve\er.  ehaii-ed  his  resi- 
dence to  Prairie  du  C'hien.  wheri'.  in   i  Sjj.  (;,,\  .rnor  Cass  ap- 
pointed   him  chief   justice   of   the   county.      He  is  said  to   have 
introduct'd  llu'  lirst  swine  aiu'i  tlu>  lirs-    sheep    into    \Visc(^nsiii, 
and  was  always  a  pushinir.  enerj;-etic  and  t'literprisin-;-  man.    In 
I  Si. J.  beinn  thoroughly    in  sympathy  w  ith    the    ICn^^dish    in    the 
existing-  war   a-ainsi    the    Anu'ricaiis,  he  raised  a   companv  of 
miiitia.  and  in  connection  with    one  or    two   other   ollicers,   se- 
cured the  surrender  of   the    n-arrison    at    the   American    fort   at 
Trairie  du  Chien  and  took  them  to  .Mackinac. 


His  ri'init.itiiiii  liowivcf  siilfcird  from  his  .illrm'il  (UiT- 
Isfiniuss  ill  tr.idiii^  witli  tlir  liidiaiis.  Ainnii^  «>lli.  r  storii's  it 
is  rclaU'd.  lliiil  lif  |Hisu,i(K'd  soinr  siini>lc  iiiirulrd  Indians  (wlio 
luld  to  thr  hflii'l'  lor  a  loii^  lime-),  llii'l  I'l''  ^\^■i.ul'l  "f  'i'^  '""' 
plaii'd  ill  the  si  ale  on  llir  ollur  side  of  wlTuli  U'li'  pil>'d 
furs  was  i\aitl\  oiir  pound.  Ainon}^'  otlu-r  liuiians  lu>  si- 
I'uri'il  llu'  nanir  of  "IIm'  nion'"  ln'i.-aiisr  tlu-y  said.  Irt  tlifin 
throw  off  wliat  numlur  of  skins  ihry  niii;ht,  in  barU'rin;;  lor 
an  arlii'li'.  his  ti  riis  wrrr  always   •■  li\i'  more.  ' 

Mrs.  Kin/ii'  in  Iut  book  ralU-d  ••  Waubiin.""  trlls  a  rajiilal 
story  of  liiin.  .\  lady  rnnarkrd  to  liiin  onr  day.  shr  says;  ••  I 
would  not  1h'  I'li^a^fd  in  thr  Indian  inuU'.  It  sitius  to  inr  a 
.systrin  of  ihratin^  thr  poor  Indians."  "  L>'t  mr  ti'll  .\ou. 
Madam."  irplird  he.  with  oiTal  carnt'sliu'ss.  •■  it  is  not  so  rasy 
a  ihini;-  to  clival  tlu'  hulians  as  you  imaj^iiu'.  I  iiavrlH'ni  liy- 
in;,f  it  llusi'  Iwi-nty  yt'ars.  and  I  ha\i'  ncviT  sui-ci'i'di'd." 

Out-  nioiv  storv  of  him  whiih  aivounts  for  my  sii,L;}.,n'stion 
of  his  ivason  for  ckrlinini;  thi'  appoinlnu'ul  of  mariiuilliiT.  and 
]  ha\  r  doiu'. 

Oiu'  (lav  hv  was  (.-rossin-;-  thr  rivi'f,  it  is  said,  at  Prairir  du 
Ciurn.  and  thr  kv  ran  \  rry  lu-avily  and  vrry  swiftly.  Ilr  br- 
canie  so  alarnu-d  for  his  safrty  thai  he  solrinnly  vowrd,  that  if 
spared,  he  would  devote  a  thousand  dollars  to  the  eoiisiruetion 
of  a  Catholic-  ehureh  at  Prairie  du  Chien.  After  hard  work, 
he  and  his  companion  (La  iM-amboise)  sueeeedi'd  in  j^ettin;;- 
thrtmj^h  the  iee  and  making-  a  landing-.  One  fool  was  yet  in 
the  boat  when  Rollet  exclaimed,  •>  Colled  it  if  you  cii.  ^'ou 
ha\  en't  i;-ot  my  note." 


I 


I 


•P^^iSHiSiMllglMI^ 


^t---::r~~^ 


f<:   n<:    -jf  -  -ff  n-    ■• 


■?iv  '/i<-  ViV-  '/iV-  .'|V 


•  ->!<•  jJl^L^^I^^I^l^lil^'' 


•  ',i\~  '/i\-  'tU'  "'W  "'I  "'I- 


